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Heat can't handle Crawford's hot shooting

Jamal Crawford connected on 16 straight shots from the field and scored a career-high 52 points, leading host New York to a 116-96 victory over Miami last night.

Jamal Crawford connected on 16 straight shots from the field and scored a career-high 52 points, leading host New York to a 116-96 victory over Miami last night.

Four nights after allowing 27 consecutive points in an embarrassing loss to a Miami team that was without Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, the Knicks took control with a run that was nearly as spectacular.

Crawford missed his first four shots, then didn't misfire again until 2 minutes, 16 seconds remained in the third quarter. The Knicks had a 20-point lead by then on their way to snapping a two-game skid.

Crawford finished 20 of 30 from the field and 8-for-9 from three-point range, helping the Knicks shoot 53.6 percent. He left to a standing ovation with 6:51 remaining, shortly after his final basket allowed him to surpass the 50-point performance he had for Chicago against Toronto on April 11, 2004.

Wade scored 37 points for Miami, which lost for the fourth time in five games. O'Neal scored 11 in 15 minutes.

O'Neal, in his second game back after missing 35 in a row because of knee surgery, rejoined the starting lineup - Alonzo Mourning was inactive because of flulike symptoms. Starting point guard Jason Williams was limited to 21 minutes off the bench because of a sore left foot.

Stephon Marbury returned from a sore knee and had a season-high 13 assists for the Knicks, but starting center Eddy Curry was sidelined after leaving Wednesday's loss to Phoenix with a strained left calf.

In other games:

* At Orlando, Joe Johnson scored a season-high 39 points, Josh Smith had 24 and Atlanta rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Magic, 93-90.

* At New Orleans, Desmond Mason scored 24 points and Bobby Jackson added 15 against his former team to help the Hornets beat Sacramento, 88-84.

* At Seattle, Ray Allen had 36 points and Nick Collison added 14 points and 11 rebounds as the SuperSonics edged Minnesota, 102-100.

* At Salt Lake City, Carlos Boozer had 25 points and 19 rebounds, and Utah beat Denver, 116-111, to hand the Nuggets their first loss since Carmelo Anthony rejoined the team. Allen Iverson had 33 points for the Nuggets.

* At Milwaukee, Raja Bell scored 27 points to lead all five Phoenix starters in double figures, and the Suns set a franchise record with their 16th straight victory by beating the Bucks, 98-90.

* At Auburn Hills, Mich., Antawn Jamison scored a season-high 35 points and Gilbert Arenas had 25 to help Washington hold off Detroit, 99-96.

* At Houston, Tracy McGrady scored 17 of his 28 points in the decisive third quarter and the Rockets beat Portland, 99-69.

* At Toronto, Chris Bosh had 26 points and Anthony Parker added a career-high 23 to lead the Raptors past injury-riddled Boston, 96-90.

* At San Antonio, Tim Duncan had 26 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best nine blocked shots, leading the Spurs to a 112-96 victory over Memphis.

Noteworthy

* Golden State guard Stephen Jackson violated his probation in Michigan when Indiana prosecutors charged him with firing a gun outside an Indianapolis strip club in October, a judge ruled.

Jackson, formerly of the Pacers, was serving probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery charges in September 2005 for his role in the 2004 brawl between Indiana Pacers players and fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. He is charged in Indiana with criminal recklessness - a felony - and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct.

Jackson, who was traded to Golden State earlier this month, faces up to 30 days in jail on the probation violation. He'll likely be sentenced to community service.

* Sacramento coach Eric Musselman pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested in October after his team won its preseason home opener. Musselman must pay $580 in fines and penalties, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento district attorney's office said. *