MIAMI -- The defensive effort was closer to Miami Heat standards. LeBron James made it difficult to notice anything but offence. James scored 33 points on 13 for 21 shooting -- with an array of post-up moves getting him going early, then a barrage of 3-pointers fueling a big third-quarter push -- and the Heat encountered little trouble on the way to a 118-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. James scored 17 points in the third quarter, his best 12-minute stretch of the season so far and an indicator that a balky back that slowed him in the seasons first couple weeks is improving. "Its getting better," James said. "It feels a lot better. Still a little sore ... getting a lot of work put on it so I can get to 100 per cent. But its getting better every day and thats a good thing." Michael Beasley scored 19 points and Mario Chalmers finished with 15 points and seven assists for the Heat, whose biggest victory margin before Tuesday was a 12-point triumph over Chicago on opening night. Chris Bosh scored 10 for Miami (5-3). Miami played without Udonis Haslem (back) and Ray Allen (ill). Shane Battier started in Haslems place. "It wasnt perfect," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team was coming off a final-second loss to Boston on Saturday. "There were still some areas we definitely need to improve on, in terms of the details and discipline. But at least the effort, the effort, the activity was better, the disposition right from the beginning and it carried through once we got into the rotation. Guys were much more focused and bringing that competitive spirit." John Henson and Gary Neal each scored 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 for Milwaukee -- all three of them putting up those points off the Bucks bench. Caron Butler was the only double-digit-scoring starter for the Bucks (2-4), finishing with 10. "They shot almost 60 per cent today so theres no way we can win a game like that," Henson said. "We just have to get better." The Heat have scored at least 100 points in each of their eight games so far, extending the teams franchise-record for such a start, but what carried much more significance in the collective eyes of the two-time defending NBA champions were the defensive numbers. Milwaukee shot only 35 per cent in the first three quarters, before scoring 33 points against an array of what largely was Heat second- and third-teamers in the final 12 minutes. "Its been a long 48 hours in this building, but at least we were able to respond with a better game," Spoelstra said. "And I think our guys felt better looking each other in the eye in the locker room tonight." James gave the Heat a shot of adrenalin late in the half, when he and Chalmers teamed up for yet another entry on Miamis alley-oop highlight reel. Dwyane Wade grabbed a deflected ball and got it to Chalmers, who drove down the lane against Milwaukees Khris Middleton -- then simply lofted the ball straight up, knowing James was trailing the play. The result was predictable. James soared past Middleton for the dunk, the Heat took a 56-45 lead into the half, and the leagues four-time MVP then took over in the third quarter. "Best player in the world," the Bucks O.J. Mayo said. James 17, Bucks 17 -- that was the score in the third quarter, after the Heat star made 6 of 9 shots in the period, including four 3-pointers. He also drove for one particularly emphatic slam, and the 84-62 lead that Miami carried into the fourth ensured he would get the rest of the night off after logging only 30 minutes. "There were moments were I was very disappointed particularly when people were driving to the basket and were moving out of their way," Bucks coach Larry Drew said. "I will not tolerate that. That will not be accepted, I dont care who it is. If theyre going to the basket, weve got to challenge, weve got to foul then and make them earn it from the free-throw line. We cant be moving out of peoples way." NOTES: Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather was courtside, and the Brazilian national soccer team was also in attendance. ... Beasleys fourth point was the 5,000th of his NBA career. ... Drew, on how his team is going to be short-handed without Ersan Ilyasova, Luke Ridnour and Larry Sanders: "There will be some guys who will probably play out of position, but this is what being short-handed is all about." Ersan Ilyasova, Luke Ridnour and Larry Sanders: "There will be some guys who will probably play out of position, but this is what being short-handed is all about." Damon Severson Jersey . Pearce had a career-high four hits and drove in two runs, and Wei-Yin Chen shut down Texas again as the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night. Scott Stevens Jersey . -- Two nights after losing to the Eastern Conferences worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes handled the best. http://www.nhldevilshockeystore.com/tay ... ersey/.com) - Fair Grounds commences its road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday with the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. John Moore Jersey . The appointment of Boullier continues the behind-the-scenes restructuring at McLaren, who recently brought back former team principal Ron Dennis as its new chief executive. Mike Cammalleri Jersey . Hes just beginning to get similar results. The right-hander struggled after winning the honour in 2008 and 2009, but a retooling of his game has begun to pay off and has the San Francisco Giants thinking about the Lincecum of old.LOS ANGELES -- After Clayton Kershaw completed a spectacular month on the mound with yet another dominant victory, he struggled to muster much excitement about his performance or even the Los Angeles Dodgers leap to the top of the standings. Kershaw knows its only June. But what a month its been for the Dodgers and their incredible left-hander. Kershaw struck out 13 during seven innings of five-hit ball, and Andre Ethier hit a three-run homer in the Dodgers 6-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Kershaw (9-2) extended his career-best scoreless streak to 28 innings in his first home start since throwing his first no-hitter June 18 against Colorado. He went 6-0 with an 0.82 ERA in June, yielding four runs in 44 innings and striking out 61. "More importantly, weve just won every game," Kershaw said. "Were on a good run. In a long season, well go on a bunch of runs. Weve just got to make sure the lowest points arent as low." The Dodgers have had nothing but high points lately: With 12 wins in 16 games, Los Angeles (47-37) has pulled virtually even with the slumping Giants (46-36) atop the NL West. The Dodgers were 9 1/2 games behind San Francisco on June 8, but erased the entire deficit in three weeks. "When we were struggling early, I think everyone knew in the back of their minds that we could turn it around," Kershaw said. "Coming back and tying up the Giants in a month is not something we expected, just like we didnt expect to go 42-8 last year, but we have that ability." Kershaws bid for back-to-back home no-hitters lasted exactly two pitches before Matt Carpenter lined a single to left. Although he walked two and retired the side in order just once, Kershaw never allowed a runner to reach third base while getting at least one strikeout in each inning. Kershaw still finished strong by striking pinch-hitter Jon Jay and Carpenter to end the seventh, earning a loud standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd. Hes been the best pitcher in the world (lately)," said Matt Kemp, who drove in the Dodgers first run. "You get a day off from your legs sometimes when hes pitching, because you dont have to run too much (in the field)." The Dodgers took three of four from St. Louis in a rematch of last seasons NL championship series. Ethier capped Los Angeles four-run fifth inning with a shot to right off Shelby Miller (7--7) for his first homer since May 27.dddddddddddd Carpenter had three hits for the Cardinals, who were shut out twice in the four-game series. "We had a couple of guys on with leadoff hits, and the next thing you know, theyre still standing on the bag they started on," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "A couple of times we had guys in scoring position, but (Kershaw) just wasnt giving us much. Hes locked in." Indeed, St. Louis had little chance on another vintage day for Kershaw, who hasnt allowed a run since June 13. His 28-inning scoreless streak is the fifth-longest in franchise history, trailing only a whos-who of Dodgers luminaries: Orel Hershiser, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton and Sandy Koufaxe. Kershaw has the longest streak since Hershisers record 59-inning run in 1988. "Its tough," Miller said of his pitching matchup. "Knowing what hes capable of and doing what hes doing, you know youve got to do the same thing. Its just frustrating when you give up runs and give up those big innings. You give them a lot of momentum." Miller gave up seven hits and six runs in five innings for St. Louis, which is among the few teams with a history of success against Kershaw. The two-time Cy Young winner entered the game just 4-5 with a 3.75 ERA against the Cardinals. Adrian Gonzalez got the Dodgers first hit in the fourth inning by bunting into the wide-open space near third base created by the Cardinals severe defensive shift. After Kemp drove in Yasiel Puig, Gonzalez scored on Juan Uribes sacrifice fly. Puig hustled for a two-out double in the fifth, and Gonzalez drove him in. After Kemp doubled, Ethier connected for just his fourth homer of the season, setting off a dance party in the Dodgers dugout when he returned. NOTES: Dodgers starters have walked two or fewer batters in 33 straight games, the longest NL streak in a century. ... Uribe committed an error in the ninth, ending the Dodgers streak at nine errorless games, their longest in a decade. ... Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez sat out with tightness in his left calf, one day after returning to the lineup from a four-game absence with a sore right shoulder. Manager Don Mattingly said Ramirez might be headed to the disabled list. ... The Cardinals recalled RHP Jorge Rondon from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, and he made his major league debut Sunday, pitching a hitless seventh inning. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '