a counterattack in the

NEWARK, N.J. -- Patrick Sharp is on one of those streaks. It seems almost every time he shoots, the puck ends up in the net. Sharp had his second hat trick in five games and the Chicago Blackhawks avoided a rare second straight loss with a 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. The 32-year-old Sharp has 14 goals and seven assists in his last 13 games. He has 25 goals in 44 games this season, tied for the team lead with Patrick Kane. "I dont know numbers-wise," Sharp said when asked if he has ever had a run like this. "I think Ive felt like this a few times in my career. Its the result of the good players Im out there with making good plays, and all the hard work you put in as an individual. Its a good run for our team, its a good run for me, and hopefully we can keep it going." Sharp helped Chicago build a 4-1 lead, combining with Kane and Marian Hossa to score in a span of 4:04 early in the third period to give the Blackhawks a 4-1 lead. When the Devils narrowed the margin to a goal with 6:23 to play, Sharp iced the game, breaking in on Martin Brodeur with 1:28 to play and easily beating the NHLs winningest goaltender for his fourth career hat trick. "Its fun to play against a guy like Marty Brodeur, arguably the best goaltender of all-time," said Sharp, who only had six goals in last years lockout-shortened season that ended with Chicago winning the Stanley Cup. "You see guys like that on the ice, Jaromir Jagr as well, its crazy to line up against those guys." Duncan Keith had three assists and fellow defenceman Brent Seabrook two in the four-goal third period against Brodeur, who faced 24 shots. "They have three lines that can get you and their fourth line doesnt hurt them ever, either," Brodeur said. "We played them well, we were right there, and then they kind of took over. Theyre a good team and they showed it. Thats what good teams do." Marek Zidlicky scored twice and fellow defenceman Andy Greene once for New Jersey, which lost in regulation for only the second time in nine games (5-2-2). Both defeats have come against the Blackhawks, who lost in overtime to the Islanders on Thursday. "We played well for the first 40, then we hit the pause button," Devils forward Ryan Carter said. "Against a team like that, you cannot do that. They can score at any time, and they pretty much did." Antti Raanta made 24 saves for Chicago, which is 11-1-3 against Eastern Conference opponents. Kane broke a 1-all tie with a great effort and some luck 90 seconds into the third period. Skating down the right boards after taking a pass from Seabrook, Kane centred a pass toward Brandon Saad in front of the net. The puck deflected off Zidlickys stake and past Brodeur for his 24th goal. Sharp, who opened the scoring, connected 74 seconds later with a great shot from low in the left circle that beat Brodeur over the shoulder. Seabrook set it up with a cross-ice pass from the right point. "He has that eye of the tiger," Raanta said of Sharp. "You can see it in the practice. He is trying to score every chance he has. When you do that in the practice it usually happens when you get the chances in the game." Hossa capped the outburst with a shot from between the circles over Brodeurs shoulder after taking a pass from Jonathan Toews, who also had two assists. That gave Chicago a 4-1 lead, but the Devils didnt quit. Zidlicky made the game close again by scoring twice in a little more than 6 minutes, with the second coming on a power play with just over 6 minutes to play. In their Dec. 23 meeting, the Blackhawks outshot the Devils 37-12 in a 5-2 win. It was a totally different game this time. It was competitive for two periods, and the best players on the ice were Brodeur and Raanta, who both stopped several good chances in close. After a scoreless opening period, Sharp gave the Blackhawks the lead. Toews set it up, taking the puck off Mark Faynes stick and finding Sharp between the circles at 1:34. It came seconds after Brodeur had stopped him in close. New Jersey needed 43 seconds to tie the game. Steve Bernier started a counterattack in the Devils zone with a pass to Stephen Gionta. He carried the puck into the Chicago end and lifted a pass to Greene, who slid the puck between Raantas pads. NOTES: Devils F Mike Sislo made his NHL debut after being called up from Albany (AHL) to replace Mattias Tedenby, who was waived earlier in the day. ... Carter returned to the lineup after missing 14 games with a leg injury. ... Sharp also hit the post in the first period on a power play. ... Devils F Patrik Elias missed the game with general soreness. NEW YORK, N.Y. - His opponent couldnt stop him, and LeBron James didnt quite know what to think when his coach tried. Erik Spoelstra asked James about taking a fourth-quarter rest, but the game was too important to sit. So the answer was no — just not said so politely. "He asked me and I didnt know if he was serious or not, and what I told him I cannot say again," James said. "So I wanted to finish out the game. I felt like it was a must-win for us." James tied his playoff career high with 49 points, Chris Bosh made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 57 seconds left, and the Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 102-96 Monday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James carried the Heat nearly the entire way until Bosh hit the basket that put Miami ahead for good — a play where James resisted the temptation to force a shot, instead passing to Mario Chalmers, who swung it to a wide-open Bosh. Ray Allen followed with four free throws and James finished it off with one more, putting the Heat in position to wrap it up at home Wednesday in Game 5. James was 16 of 24 from the field and 14 of 19 from the free throw line in matching the 49 points he scored for Cleveland against Orlando in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals. He missed his second free throw with 1.1 seconds left, muttering to himself after. "Thats the first time Ive been disappointed in myself in a win," James said before smiling, realizing his performance left nothing to complain about. "He was what was needed on the road and thats what makes him the best player in the game," Spoelstra said. Joe Johnson scored 18 points for the Nets, who were 15 of 25 from 3-point range in their Game 3 victory but only 5 of 22 in this one. Paul Pierce added 16 points. "This is very difficult to swallow," Nets centre Kevin Garnett said. "Hard to take, but its what it is. Coulda, shoulda, woulda doesnt help us at this point." Dwyane Wade scored 15 points on the night his Heat post-season record of 46 points was shattered. Bosh finished with 12. Miami pulled out a thrilling victory in a game in which neither team led by double digits and has won at least one road game in 14 sstraight series, breaking the record set by the Chicago Bulls from 1991-94.dddddddddddd Garnetts two free throws tied it with 2:30 remaining. Bosh then missed a pair of 3-pointers before getting a third crack at it in the corner in front of the Brooklyn bench for a 97-94 lead. Johnson then missed a jumper while trying to draw James sixth foul — Johnson said afterward James "flopped" — and Allens free throws put it away. "Obviously the series is not over but we really have to have some urgency going to Miami and weve got to come out of there with one," Johnson said. Wade scored 46 points against Boston in the 2010 playoffs, and James best in a Heat uniform had also come against the Celtics, his memorable 45-point performance that saved Miamis season in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. Pierce, who asked to guard James after Game 1, was on the wrong end of this LeBron masterpiece. James and the Heat had shrugged off a couple days of chatter from Pierce, who said the Nets werent afraid of them. But things were testy at the start, with first-quarter technical fouls for James, Pierce, Shane Battier and Alan Anderson. Miami started quickly again and led 27-22 after one behind 12 points from James. He opened the second on the bench and Brooklyn started with a 9-2 spurt to take its first lead at 31-29. James was a force once he returned — especially after a second foul against him seemed to get James more annoyed than any of Pierces talking did. James gave Pierce a glare after a thunderous slam later in the period, when he had 13 points in 7 1/2 minutes, and the Heat led 56-49. James had 13 straight Miami points in the third, but Brooklyn cut it to one on a few occasions before he made a pair of free throws to give Miami a 79-76 lead. NOTES: Mirza Teletovic was held to four points and missed all three 3-point attempts. He had been 11 of 19 in the series, Wade saying before the game it was "red alert" when he entered. ... As they have during post-season home games, the Nets had a Brooklyn-based entertainer announce their starting lineups. On Monday it was Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were also in the crowd. ' ' '