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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) – It was tough for the Miami Heat to feel good, even
ending a three-game losing streak.
Brian Grant scored five of his 21 points in the fourth quarter
as Miami beat the New Jersey Nets 75-70 Saturday night.
The Nets erased an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit and closed
within three points in the final seconds before Eddie Jones
sealed the victory by hitting two free throws with 5.2 seconds
remaining.
"It was one of those games you are happy to win but you don't
feel well about how you finished up," Grant said.
Grant's fast-break dunk with 1:26 left gave the Heat a 10-point
lead.
But New Jersey, which trailed by 19 points in the third quarter,
pulled within 72-68 on Keith Van Horn's 3-pointer with 15.7 seconds
left. Aaron Williams' tip-in, which actually deflected off Grant,
narrowed the gap to 73-70 with 7.9 seconds to go.
"There was some concern," Grant said. "They made a pretty
hard run and we couldn't put the ball in the hole."
Miami shot just 36.5 percent, compared to 38 percent for New
Jersey.
Johnny Newman led the Nets with 17 points. Stephon Marbury, who
twisted his left ankle in the second quarter, was held to 10
points. It was the All-Star's lowest point total since scoring nine
in the season opener.
"Against these guys, you have to play the whole game," Marbury
said. "Those guys are veterans. They know how to win. I felt good
until I rolled my ankle."
The Nets outscored the Heat 26-13 in the fourth quarter, scoring
the first 12 to start the period.
Anthony Mason, who added 17 points and 10 rebounds, ended New
Jersey's run by scoring the Heat's first points at 5:20 of the
period.
Miami's Tim Hardaway shot 1-for-13 from the field and finished
with just four points and seven assists. Hardaway had a season-low
three points in the Heat's last game.
"The last couple games have been atrocious," Hardaway said.
"I wasn't making shots."
Heat coach Pat Riley criticized his veteran guard.
"Tim makes a lot of good plays for us," Riley said. "He's
just not making any shots."
Miami held the Nets to just nine points in the third quarter and
led 62-44 at the start of the fourth. New Jersey hit just three of 16
from the field in the third.
"The game would have been a blowout if we made some shots,"
Jones said.
The Nets went 7-for-28 from the field in the second and
third quarters, combining for just 22 points.
"You have to play a complete 48 minutes against Miami and we
didn't," Nets coach Byron Scott said. "They played hard for 48
solid minutes."
The Heat led 44-35 at halftime behind Grant's 13 points. Mason
added 10 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
The Heat overcame an early seven-point deficit and closed the
first quarter with an 18-8 run for a 25-22 lead. The lead changed
six times in the opening quarter before Miami seized control.
Game notes
Nets forward/center Jamie Feick missed the game because of
a nagging left Achilles tendon injury. Feick, who played 12 minutes
Wednesday against Toronto, had surgery Oct. 9. ... New Jersey guard
Sherman Douglas, who missed the Nets' last game because of personal
reasons, returned to the lineup. ... When Miami beat New Jersey on
Jan. 4, it held the Nets to eight points in the third quarter.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 106
Washington 99
Charlotte 86
Philadelphia 85
Miami 75
New Jersey 70
Chicago 90
Vancouver 75
San Antonio 107
Dallas 104
Denver 85
Atlanta 82
LA Clippers 123
Portland 120
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