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MIAMI -- For the first time all season, the Miami Heat are alone atop the Eastern Conference. And thats quite a turnaround from how things seemed less than a week ago. LeBron James fought through a sore back to score 32 points, Chris Bosh added 18 and the Heat used another strong defensive effort to beat the Toronto Raptors 93-83 on Monday night. The win pushed the two-time defending NBA champions percentage points ahead of the struggling Indiana Pacers in the race for the No. 1 seed in the East. "It doesnt feel like anything," James said. "The standings are what they are. We want to play the best we can and the fact that we are in first place, I think thats pretty cool but weve got so much work to do. Weve got too much work to do. Weve got guys that need to get healthy. We havent even talked about it. We probably wont talk about it. Weve got to play the season out." Chris Andersen scored 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting and Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami (51-22), which was again without Dwyane Wade (hamstring), Greg Oden (back) and Ray Allen (flu). Indiana (52-23) lost at home earlier Monday night to San Antonio, 103-77. "The No. 1 seed is the last thing on our minds right now," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after his teams loss. The Heat -- who were three games out in the East after losing at Indiana on Wednesday -- are basically saying the same thing. Sure, its a neat perk -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called it an "ancillary" effect of hard work -- and Bosh acknowledged the outcomes Monday merited a very subtle fist-pump from him. But theres still plenty of time for things to change, and Miami is thinking more about getting those who are hurt and sick back into rhythm with the playoffs coming up in less than three weeks. "Were aware of it," Spoelstra said of the standings. "Its not that were naive to it. I didnt talk about it. ... These were pros that were getting ready for battle and its that type of focus, thats the type of thing were trying to stress right now, the process of building those habits. The results will follow. They tend to take care of themselves." Greivis Vasquez scored 17 points, DeMar DeRozan scored 16 and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Steve Novak added 13 for Toronto, which lost Kyle Lowry to a sore left knee late in the third quarter after he collided with James. "It was a hard-fought game -- basketball at a high level," Vasquez said. "We lost it in the third period. We came out too relaxed. We didnt attack the basket. Everything worked for them." Lowrys knee swelled, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said, and that hardly sounds like good news for a team fighting for the No. 3 spot in the East. "He bumped knees," Casey said. "It puffed up a little bit. X-rays were negative. We just have to wait and see how he is tomorrow." The Heat were down 10 midway through the second quarter, and then closed the half on a 22-9 run to take the lead and never trailed again. Bosh had consecutive baskets in the fourth quarter, the last of them an easy breakaway, to put Miami up by nine. A possession later, after a 3-pointer from Vasquez, James split a pair of defenders on the dribble and found Toney Douglas for a right-wing 3. And after a stop on the ensuing Miami trip, James got a wild layup to fall while getting fouled. Moments later, the Heat could look at the standings and finally see themselves on top. "We could still lose it," Bosh said. "That reality is there. We just have to keep concentrating on what weve been doing." NOTES: Miami has now won 15 straight against the Raptors, the last 14 of those meetings coming since Bosh left Toronto and joined the Heat during the summer of 2010. ... Monday was the start of a five-game homestand for the Heat, who face Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York and Brooklyn. 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Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night. Adil Rami Jersey . - Robert Griffin III has a sprained throwing shoulder that limited him in practice Wednesday as the Washington Redskins prepared for their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.DAVIE, Fla. - The Dolphins recent offensive woes have come at a bad time for a team with fading playoff hopes, particularly with a trip to the New England Patriots up next on Sunday.Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been under more duress from opposing pass rushers while his threat to throw deep has all but disappeared. The offence does not look like the same unit that put up 23 points in the second half of a 33-20 season opening win over New England.Tannehill was sacked six times in last weeks loss to Baltimore and has led just two touchdown drives over the past eight quarters. The Dolphins escaped with a 16-13 road victory over the New York Jets two weeks ago, but after taking a 10-0 lead on Baltimore in the first quarter were outscored 28-3 the rest of the way.It makes your life a little bit more difficult when youre behind the chains so to speak, said head coach Joe Philbin, referring to some negative runs, sacks and penalties on first downs that plagued Miami against the Ravens. I think if you look back at what we were able to do in the first game (against New England), I think we were able to be in some manageable third downs and I think thats going to be important in this game. Youre on the road, theyve got a good pass defence and a good pass rush.The loss of veteran left tackle Branden Albert to a season-ending knee injury last month at Detroit has taken its toll on an offensive line that has given up 14 sacks in the last four games without him. Rookie JaWuan James had to move over from the right tackle spot and his college teammate at Tennessee, Dallas Thomas, took over at right tackle.dddddddddddd Several of Baltimores sacks came at the expense of Thomas, and he will likely be targeted more on Sunday.Despite the shaky performance last week, Tannehill still has confidence in his linemen and they have confidence in his ability to keep plays alive with his feet and make quick decisions with his throws. That aspect of his game will have to work in concert with the protection.It helps, especially if you get beat on the block he can make it right a lot of times, James said. But we dont have a clock in our heads. Weve got to keep blocking until we hear the whistle.A combination of James and veteran guards Mike Pouncey and Daryn Colledge have been in Thomas ear this week making sure he moves on from the Ravens game. Miami will need the entire line to play better against a hot Patriots team.Wide receiver Mike Wallace is expecting to be covered again by Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis and even though he and Tannehill havent connected enough on the deep ball, he is ready for Revis to contest the route anyway. Revis acknowledged that Wallace is still a vertical threat and that he has to defend him that way.I know Ill see him. How much? Im not sure, said Wallace, who has 700 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. We are playing the Patriots. You never know what those guys are thinking. You just have to go about your business and prepare like youre going to play against him or whoever. However the game unfolds, well be ready.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '