MIAMI (AP) – Shaquille O’Neal scored 23 points, Eddie Jones and Jason Williams had 19 apiece, and the Miami Heat extended the NBA’s longest current winning streak to nine games with a 103-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

James Posey added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the defending champion Heat, who’ve won 14 straight at home and pulled into a virtual tie with Washington for the Southeast Division lead.

Jones went 5-for-6 and Williams 5-for-9 from 3-point range for Miami, which connected on 13 of 21 – a season-best 62 percent – from beyond the arc.

Ron Artest had his first double-double in more than a month, 32 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento, which dropped its fifth straight. Mike Bibby scored 21 points and Shareef Abdur-Rahin added 18 for the Kings.

Kevin Martin, who was averaging 25.8 points in his last 10 games, finished with nine on 3-for-9 shooting for Sacramento, which has lost seven consecutive games against the Heat.

Abdur-Rahim hit a jumper from the right baseline with 1:57 left to play to get the Kings within nine, and after O’Neal missed a jump hook 24 seconds later, Sacramento went back to Abdur-Rahim. But his try from just inside the foul line missed, and Miami held on.

Jones had eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, during a 15-0 first-quarter run by Miami, which led 24-17 after the opening period. Another big spurt – a 25-12 burst to open the second quarter – gave the Heat a 49-27 edge with 6:01 left until halftime, before the Kings began chipping away.

Artest had nine points in a 31/2-minute stretch late in the second, helping Sacramento get to 56-45 at intermission. And when Artest hit a 3-pointer early in the third, the Kings were within 57-48 – but the Heat went back to the long ball to answer.

Williams hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back to double digits 13 seconds after Artest connected, and the Heat went 5-for-9 from behind the arc in the third to take an 84-70 lead into the fourth.

Notes: Since acquiring O’Neal, Miami is 40-1 at home in February and March. … Heat guard Gary Payton strained his right groin in the second quarter and wasn’t available for the second half, which meant rookie Chris Quinn played for the second time in Miami’s last 10 games. Quinn checked in early in the fourth quarter for Williams, who’d played 18 straight minutes. … Artest leaped over courtside fans and trotted up a few stairs after knocking a pass away in the third quarter. … The Kings haven’t won in Miami since Dec. 9, 2001.

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