For a while, Tuesday’s game against the Kings made you temporarily forget that the Heat is hosting Linsanity and the Knicks on Thursday. Then the fourth quarter started.

The Heat defeated the surprisingly pesky Kings 120-108 at AmericanAirlines Arena for its seventh win in a row, needing a dominant fourth period to pull away from the young team from Sacramento with just 10 wins this season. It will be pointed out, of course, that the Knicks and guard Jeremy Lin didn’t have nearly as much trouble with the Kings a week ago.

“We weren’t necessarily sharp throughout the game, but we did good things in spurts,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Dwyane Wade continued his torrid scoring effort in the month of February. He entered the game shooting 55.7 percent this month and scored 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Wade’s dunk put the Heat ahead 112-98 with 5:42 left in the game and his 20-footer gave the Heat a 14-point cushion with three minutes to play.

Late run

The Heat (26-7) led 93-88 entering the fourth quarter but used a 9-0 run to pull ahead. Mike Miller started the spurt with a three-pointer, and Norris Cole’s layup gave the Heat a 104-92 advantage. Cole led all Heat reserves with 12 points off the bench.

With the Kings out of the way, the Heat can now focus on the Knicks, who already had an advance party of its press throng at AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday night.

“Who do we play?” Spoelstra said coyly when asked about the Knicks after the game. “Now we can start to focus. We didn’t even mention that team by name in the last 48 hours.”

Sputtering start

It didn’t seem like it early.

The Heat trailed 32-26 in the first quarter with the Kings outrebounding Miami 16-7 in the first period. Sacramento wouldn’t go away nicely in the third quarter, either. Not with little Isaiah Thomas scoring six three-point plays (five three-pointers and one three-free-throw opportunity) in the third. He had 20 points in the period, finished with 24, but was held scoreless in the final period.

Thomas’ fifth three-pointer of the third quarter cut the Heat’s lead to 87-85. The period was a fireworks show of offense. The Heat outscored the Kings 36-35, and both teams combined to shoot 11 of 17 from three-point range. LeBron James was 2 of 2 from distance and Mario Chalmers was 3 of 6.

“They were making shots [in the third quarter], but it’s a good sign for us that we outscored them by one point,” Wade said.

Udonis Haslem’s powerful put-back dunk on a missed three-pointer in the fourth quarter was a knockout blow, giving the Heat a 10-point lead with 6:36 left. Fitting that the basket came in front of boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr., who sat courtside. The Heat forced six turnovers in the final period and held Sacramento to 41.2 percent shooting.

Haslem history

Haslem finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, moving into second on the Heat’s all-time rebounding list ahead of Rony Seikaly. Haslem has 4,549 career rebounds, trailing Alonzo Mourning by 257 rebounds.

“He’s absolutely pure,” Spoelstra said about Haslem. “Eventually, he’ll be the mayor of this town.”

Chalmers and Chris Bosh finished with 20 points each. Bosh also had 10 rebounds, giving him his ninth double-double. Chalmers had six three-pointers, tying a career high, and enters the upcoming three-point contest during the All-Star weekend in the best form of his career.

Like many this season, the Kings tried to throw its zone defense at the Heat, but the Heat finished 55.6 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three.

“I had a lot of open shots,” Chalmers said. “My teammates found me in good positions. Any time a team plays a zone, it’s going to be hard to contain with LeBron and D-Wade and especially me on the perimeter. We had a balanced attack [Tuesday night].”

James had 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and met his usual quota of highlight reel dunks and alley-oops to Wade, including a 70-foot pass in the first half. Still, it’s safe to say James saved his best moves for Thursday night and the Knicks.

Most watched?

“It’s going to be fun; it’s going to be electrifying; it’s going to be the game right before All-Stars,” James said. “Knowing the rivalry and knowing the history between the Heat and the Knicks, it could be one of the most watched games we’ve had in a long time. Especially with what Jeremy Lin is doing and what we’re doing, as well.”