Los Angeles  - The Atlanta Hawks - the NBA's latest streak busters - struck again.

Joe Johnson scored 31 points with nine assists, Josh Smith had 22 points with 12 rebounds and the Hawks snapped the season-high 12-game winning streak of the Utah Jazz Wednesday night with a 100-93 home-court victory.

"This shows everybody in the world the Hawks are for real," Smith said. "They have to take the Hawks seriously. Utah is an outstanding team, and we were able to beat them."

Atlanta ended Cleveland's 11-game run on December 13, stopped Detroit's modest four-game string Saturday and severed New Orleans' seven-game success two days ago before halting Utah's fourth-longest streak in franchise history.

Los Angeles - Take notice Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, fellow superstar Dwyane Wade is making his point as a top contender for league Most Valuable Player.

Wade had 48 points, 12 assists and stole the ball from John Salmons for a running three-pointer as time expired in the second overtime, lifting the Miami Heat to a dramatic 130-127 home-court victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

"If Mr Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr, if he's not legitimately considered for an MVP candidate, I don't know what he needs to do," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the emotional win.

Los Angeles  - NBA hall of famer Charles Barkley was a free man Monday, after serving 36 hours in jail at for a drunken driving conviction, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona said.

Barkley was not required to wear a jail uniform upon entering the facility Saturday morning. He was given a private tent but no other special treatment, Sheriff Joe Arpaio told the Arizona Republic. The county houses some jail inmates, who are serving sentences of no more than 12 months, in what the sheriff calls Tent City.

Los Angeles - Sharpshooting Ray Allen tried to carry the Boston Celtics over the finish line, but the load proved to be too heavy.

Dwight Howard scored 18 points with 15 rebounds, and a pair of game-sealing free throws with 13.9 seconds left, as the Orlando Magic held off a late charge to beat the injury-depleted Boston Celtics 86-79 on Sunday.

"Our guys were fighting very hard," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I thought for a while we lost our fight, but we did a good job of finishing out the game."

Los Angeles - NBA Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, who guided the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back Championships, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

"Chuck is being treated for the cancer, and the family is requesting privacy," said Pistons vice-president of media relations Matt Dobek, who on Friday made the announcement on behalf of the family.

Dobek didn't comment on details regarding the diagnosis of Daly, who coached the 1992 gold medal "Dream Team" at the Barcelona Olympics," only to say the 78-year old is in good spirits.

Los Angeles  - Paul Pierce stepped up, and the Boston Celtics tightened up the Eastern Conference race.

Pierce scored 21 of his 29 points in the second half, and the Celtics bounced the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 105-94 on Friday night in a battle of the East's elite.

"For us to get this win is huge," Pierce said, "because we're both playing for first-place in the Eastern Conference and for home-court advantage."