Blazers hand Heat fifth straight defeat

MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra vowed to keep the Heat fighting. Chris Bosh acknowledged he needs to do more. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade insisted they still believe after enduring their fifth straight loss.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and the Trail Blazers overcame Wade's 38 in beating the Heat, 105-96, last night.

James had 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Miami, the 12th team in NBA history to have a 12-game winning streak and a five-game losing streak in the same season.

"How do we explain it? We can't," James said. "Our confidence level, me and D-Wade's confidence level being leaders of the team, won't go down."

After Wade and James, help was fleeting. Mario Chalmers had 10, and Bosh was held to seven points. The Blazers' bench outscored Miami's 41-8.

And it gets no easier for the Heat: The two-time defending champion Lakers, winners of eight in a row, come in tomorrow night. In Atlanta, where the Lakers won, Kobe Bryant was predicting Miami would be ready.

"It's a perfect setup for them to get back on track," Bryant said. "They have no options but to fight, but to play their hearts out. This is going to be a big challenge for us.''-- AP