Miami, Dec 25 (EFE; odds by IDSca.com).– Power forward Chris Bosh scored 30 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 94-88 overtime victory here Friday over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first of five NBA games scheduled for Christmas Day.

Bosh, who scored seven of his points in overtime, also grabbed 10 rebounds for the Heat, who have been up-and-down of late but still have the third-best record (17-11) in the much-improved Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks.

Heat forward Luol Deng gave Miami an 83-80 lead early in overtime with a 3-pointer and the hosts preserved their advantage down the stretch thanks to Bosh, whose three-point play with 40 seconds remaining sealed the victory.

Dwyane Wade, a one-time superstar who has taken on a secondary role in recent years for the Heat, pitched in with 19 points, six of them in overtime, six rebounds and four assists at American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami.

Miami center Hassan Whiteside, meanwhile, was a major factor on the glass, keeping possessions alive by grabbing six offensive rebounds and preventing extra chances by the Pelicans by hauling down 11 defensive boards.

The Heat’s ability to get to the line was also a key to the victory as they made 18 of 27 foul shots, while the Pelicans only attempted 11 free throws, making 10 of them.

Superstar forward Anthony Davis had a double-double with 29 points and 15 rebounds and also blocked three shots for the Pelicans (9-20), who rallied from an 11-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to force overtime.

Reserve forward Ryan Anderson added 18 for New Orleans, with half of those points coming on 3-pointers.

With the win, the Heat improved their record on Christmas Day games to an NBA-best 10-2, including victories in each of their last seven contests on that holiday.

The Chicago Bulls (16-11) upset the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-10) in Friday’s second game by the score of 105-96, while the the defending champion Golden State Warriors (27-1) beat the Cavaliers (19-7) by a score of 89-83.

The final two Christmas Day matchups featured regional rivalries.  The Houston Rockets (15-15) won against the San Antonio Spurs (25-5) by 88-84 while the Los Angeles Clippers (16-13) easily beat the ailing Los Angeles Lakers (5-24)  by 94-84.

The NBA Christmas action kept sportsbooks in Costa Rica very busy. After the final game, respected Pay-Per-Head (PPH) provider IDSca.com reported the following odds on the winning teams:

• Miami Heat: 35/1 to take the title; 15/1 to take the Eastern Conference
• Chicago Bulls: 30/1 to take the title; 10/1 to take the Eastern Conference
• Golden State Warriors: favorite team to keep the title at 5/4 and the Western Conference at 5/9
• Houston Rockets: 80/1 to take the title; 40/1 to take the Western Conference
• Los Angeles Clippers:  22/1 to take the title; 12/1 to take the Western Conference