|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) -- With Eddie Jones out, the Miami Heat had to find their offense in other places.
|  | | Brian Grant found enough room against the Wizards to score 26 points. |
Brian Grant scored 26 points and Tim Hardaway broke out of a
scoring slump with 22 Tuesday night, as the Miami Heat overcame
Jones' injury to beat the Washington Wizards 103-95.
Grant had his third-highest points total this season, and Hardaway broke out of a slump that had drawn criticism from coach Pat Riley.
"This was a night when guys had to step up," Grant said. "We've been in this lag lately, and we have to find a way to getout of it."
Miami, which won for the 12th time in 14 home games, shot a season-best 56.2 percent.
Jones left in the first quarter with a strained left hamstring
and didn't return. Jones, who leads Miami in scoring with an 18.6
average, was injured less than two minutes in.
"We did all the things we needed to do," Riley said. "We took it to a five-point lead, then a nine-point lead and went from there."
Washington lost its fifth straight and for the 11th time in 12 games. At 13-45, the Wizards have the second-worst record in the NBA, ahead of only Chicago, 9-46.
"It's like the same broken record," Wizards coach Leonard Hamilton said. "They had the one stretch (in the fourth quarter) that did us in.
"Obviously, I'm concerned about our defense. Offensively, we were matching them. but I'm not happy with the job we did on the defensive end."
Hardaway was 1-for-13 Saturday against New Jersey and had scored
just seven points in his previous two games. He shot 9-for-17 and
added nine assists for the Heat, who had lost three of four.
"Coach wants us to run up and down and for me to get the team
running and help us get easy buckets," Hardaway said. "In the
fourth quarter we went on that run and took it home from there. We
wore them down."
Grant topped the 20-point mark for the third straight game. Anthony Mason scored 20 points for the Heat.
Mitch Richmond scored 20 points and Chris Whitney added 18 for the Wizards.
Trailing 79-74, Miami outscored Washington 13-3 during a
four-minute stretch of the fourth quarter, a run capped A.C.
Green's tip-in with 6:36 left.
Grant and Hardaway then scored on consecutive three-point plays.
Grant converted Hardaway's alley-oop pass into a dunk and added a
free throw, and Hardaway dropped in a 3-pointer that stretched the
lead to 93-84 with 5:20 left.
Christian Laettner, playing in his second game with the Wizards
following last week's trade from Dallas, scored 16 points.
With Jones missing, the Heat essentially went with two point
guards in the backcourt: Hardaway and Anthony Carter.
Jones doesn't think the injury is serious and expects to play
against Philadelphia Wednesday night.
"I asked if I could go back and play, but (the doctors) told me
to lay off it and see how I feel (Wednesday)," Jones said. "I
plan on playing. It's not as bad as I thought."
Game notes
Washington is 5-25 on the road. ... Laettner made his first
seven shots. ... The Heat have won 10 straight against the Wizards
and 21 of their last 24 against them at home. ... Of the 25
remaining games for Miami, 14 are at home. ... Jones had scored in
double figures in 29 straight games.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Washington Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
Report: Wizards pursuing early buyout of Strickland's contract
RECAPS
Toronto 101
Cleveland 89
Miami 103
Washington 95
New York 101
Seattle 92
Portland 95
San Antonio 87
Sacramento 106
LA Clippers 93
Dallas 116
Vancouver 112
|
