O’Neal sets milestone as Miami downs Atlanta

James Posey added 19 points for Miami, which moved into a virtual tie with Washington atop the Southeast Division, pending the Wizards’ outcome Monday night at Utah.

Jason Williams tallied 14 points and Eddie Jones had 13 points and nine boards for the Heat, who went 4-0 against Atlanta this season and beat the Hawks for the 17th time in the last 19 meetings. Miami has won 11 in a row at home over Atlanta.

Salim Stoudamire scored 22 points, going 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, for the Hawks, losers of four in a row overall and eight straight on the road. Josh Smith ended with 20 points and Marvin Williams scored 14 in a losing cause.

O’Neal has 25,291 points, moving past Reggie Miller (25,279) for 12th most all-time. O’Neal attained the milestone with a free throw in the first half.

A three-point play by O’Neal expanded Miami’s early lead to 15-4 and the Heat held a 28-22 advantage after 12 minutes.

Smith’s layup tied the score at 40 midway through the second, but Jones responded with a three-pointer. The Hawks were within 53-52 before Posey ended the half by making four foul shots.

Posey started the third quarter by nailing a shot beyond the arc and O’Neal’s three-point play moved the Heat to a 64-53 cushion. Miami continued its strong inside play and led 82-69 going into the fourth.

Atlanta never got its deficit under double digits in the final 12 minutes. O’Neal’s jam moved the margin to 97-77 midway through the fourth.

Game Notes

Atlanta’s last road win was Feb. 14 against the Clippers...Miami has won 16 of its last 18 home games. Since the 2004-05 season, the Heat have a combined record of 41-3 at home during the months of February and March.