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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- In two years with Miami, Terry Mills
played just 51 games, and only one last season. Monday night, the
Heat saw what they missed.
Mills had six 3-pointers -- one shy of his career high -- as the
Detroit Pistons, winless in three games since the All-Star break,
beat Miami 95-87.
| | Detroit's Jerry Stackhouse splits Miami's Clarence Weatherspoon, left, and Jamal Mashburn for two of his 22 points. |
"We knew he could shoot the 3," Alonzo Mourning said. "He
didn't play with us because he was never in shape."
Mills, who has had the same doughboy shape since high school,
didn't exactly disagree. He just used different terms.
"There's no revenge factor," said Mills, who scored all 18 of
his points on the 3-pointers. "I was never healthy enough to help
Miami. But it is always great to play well against a team that you
used to play for."
So there.
Grant Hill scored 26 points and Jerry Stackhouse and Lindsey
Hunter each had 22 for the Pistons, who have won three in a row at
The Palace and 13 of their past 17 at home.
Mourning scored 20 points for Miami despite having his nose
broken before fouling out with 2:24 remaining. Jamal Mashburn added
14 for the Heat, who went 1-3 on their four-game road trip.
"I look at it this way: When we play them again, it's going to
be an all-out war," Mourning said. "I guarantee it."
That would be April 12 at The Palace.
The Pistons, who had a five-point halftime lead, hit six
3-pointers -- three by Mills -- to take a 75-64 lead into the fourth
quarter.
Mills' sixth 3 gave Detroit an 83-71 lead with 5:49 left in the
fourth quarter, but three baskets by Mourning fueled a run that cut
it to 86-79 with 3:07 remaining.
Tim Hardaway made two free throws to cut Detroit's lead to 86-81
with 1:50 left and a three-point play by P.J. Brown cut it to 88-84
with 1:12 remaining.
But the Heat scored just three points the rest of the way, a
free throw by Voshon Lenard and a jumper by Mashburn with 11.2
seconds remaining.
Miami was forced to foul and the Pistons had five free throws
plus a basket by Jerome Williams down the stretch.
"Terry was the savior tonight," Stackhouse said. "That's what
I have been saying. We need to realize that we can't rely on anyone
but the 12 guys in this room."
Mills sank a pair of 3s as the Pistons opened the second half
with a 10-2 run for a 57-44 lead.
Another 3 by Mills put the Pistons up 60-46 with 6:40 left in
the quarter, and a dunk by Stackhouse off an ally-oop pass from
Mills gave the Pistons their biggest lead, 62-47 with 5:40 left in
the third quarter.
Mourning's layup with 5:19 left in the quarter was the first
field goal of the second half for Miami, which had five free throws
to that point.
Hill, Stackhouse and Hunter accounted for all of Detroit's
points in the second quarter.
With 3.0 seconds left in the half, Stackhouse -- whom the Heat
tried to acquire last August -- slammed down an alley-oop pass from
Hill to send the Pistons off with a 47-42 halftime lead.
Game notes Mourning broke his nose when he took an elbow from Michael
Curry with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter. He returned with 7:39
left. ... Detroit's six 3-pointers in the third quarter was one
short of the team record set March 10, 1995, against Denver. ...
Dan Majerle, who played his college ball at Central Michigan,
received one of the loudest rounds of applause during pregame
introductions. This was the second game back for Majerle from a
stress fracture of his left leg that kept him out of the Heat
starting lineup for 11 games. ... Miami won the two previous
meetings with the Pistons this season, both at home. Hill missed
the Heat's 104-82 victory Jan. 31. Mashburn scored 23 in that game.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 87 LA Clippers 76
Indiana 94 Dallas 93
Cleveland 109 Vancouver 108
Detroit 95 Miami 87
Phoenix 98 San Antonio 89
Denver 123 Sacramento 117
Utah 96 Atlanta 94
Portland 105 Boston 92
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