MIAMI - LeBron James scored 32 points and Chris Bosh added 22 points with 14 rebounds Friday as Miami squandered a big lead but held on for a 95-87 NBA victory over Charlotte.
Flu-stricken Dwyane Wade chipped in 11 points for the Heat, who led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter but trailed 82-80 with four minutes left in the contest.
The collapse recalled the Heat's recent overtime loss to Utah, in which Miami blew a 22-point lead.
This time, however, Miami held on.
James put the Heat ahead again with a short jump shot and Bosh made four consecutive free as Miami edged ahead for good.
"We found a way to win a grind-out game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after his team improved to 8-4. "It was ugly at times. It was not smooth ... but these games are good for us right now."
Stephen Jackson led Charlotte with 30 points. Nazr Mohammed scored 12 and Shaun Livingston added 10 for the Bobcats.
"Things went their way during the game and LeBron was a tough cover, but they did what they needed to do to win the game," Jackson said.
It wasn't clear if Wade would play until less than an hour before the game. He missed the moring practice while seeing a doctor because of flu-like symptoms, but he hit his first four shots.
Wade then missed all nine of his remaining shots, but Spoelstra was still glad to have him on hand.
"Just his mere presence often helps," he said.
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