ATLANTA – Ray Allen scored 20 points and Rashard Lewis added 17 as the Seattle SuperSonics overcame the ejections of Jerome James and Danny Fortson to beat the Atlanta Hawks 94-79 Thursday.

The Sonics improved to 21-6, including 10-3 on the road.

Official Bob Delaney ejected James after giving the center his first technical foul with 7:14 left in the third quarter. James, called for an offensive foul, appeared to use an expletive as he looked down at Delaney.

With 6:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, Fortson complained about contact on Seattle’s offensive end and was tossed by Delaney.

The Hawks, who dropped to an Eastern Conference-worst 5-23, have lost eight of nine. Antoine Walker led Atlanta with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Seattle coach Nate McMillan called a timeout soon after James’ ejection when the Hawks drew within 13 on Walker’s tip-in. Allen responded with a 3-pointer from the right wing that began a 15-5 run that included a bank shot over Walker on a fast break.

Pacers 96, Nets 83

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Hours after a judge ruled that he didn’t have to serve the final 10 games of a suspension, Jermaine O’Neal scored 31 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 96-83 win over the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

Jeff Foster added 16 points and a season-high 16 rebounds and Austin Croshere had 17 points off the bench as the Pacers won their third straight game, matching their longest streak since the Nov. 19 brawl in Detroit that led to multiple suspensions.

O’Neal got a 25-game suspension, but an arbitrator reduced it to 15 games last week allowing him to return to action. U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels upheld that decision in New York about three hours before the Pacers and Nets took the court.

He missed eight straight shots during the second and third quarters and once sat down next to two young children at courtside to laugh about his woes.

However, when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter O’Neal took over. The All-Star forward scored nine points to spoil Vince Carter’s debut as a Net in New Jersey.

Heat 89, Pistons 78

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Dwyane Wade’s first NBA triple-double kept Miami’s winning streak alive.

Wade had 31 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Heat past the Detroit Pistons 89-78 Thursday night to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 13 games.

Miami, which last lost on Dec. 4, won 14 games in a month for the first time.

Wade, in his second NBA season, dominated the Pistons with unstoppable drives, timely passes and rebounding. He was 12-of-18 from the field and made 7 of 10 free throws.

Shaquille O’Neal, playing with a sore back and ribs, had 21 points for the Heat.

The Pistons led for much of the game before falling apart in the fourth quarter, making just 3 of 22 shots. They led 76-71 midway through the fourth before the Heat closed the game with an 18-2 run.

Detroit’s Richard Hamilton scored 21 points and Rasheed Wallace had 13, but they were a combined 2-of-13 in the fourth quarter. Ben Wallace had 13 points and nine rebounds and reserve Antonio McDyess added 12 points.

Detroit had won three straight and five of seven.

Udonis Haslem had 16 points and seven rebounds and Eddie Jones added 11 points and nine rebounds.

, showing that the Heat are not just a two-man team.

The Pistons were ahead 20-17 after the first quarter and 47-41 at halftime, leading after the first half for just the ninth time in 28 games this season.

O’Neal was held to eight points in the first half on 3-of-13 shooting, but scored eight points in the third.

Detroit took its largest lead at 57-48 early in the third quarter, but Miami answered with a 12-2 run. The Pistons started the fourth with a 69-67 lead.

Notes: O’Neal leads the Eastern Conference with 1,311,762 All-Star votes, three times more than Ben Wallace, who started at center the past two years. … The Pistons, who beat the Heat 78-77 at home on Nov. 26, make their only scheduled trip to Miami on April 10. Wade missed 11 of 17 shots in the first meeting.