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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) – Eddie House has a secret admirer – Pat Riley's
daughter – who is certain to be happy with her daddy's coaching
moves Saturday night.
House, a seldom-used rookie, helped the Miami Heat make up for
the absence of Tim Hardaway by leading them to a 95-81 win against
Vancouver on Saturday night.
House scored 16 points off the bench and sparked a third-quarter
surge that helped the Heat take command.
House was unaware that Riley's 12-year-old daughter is a big
fan. Elisabeth Riley has been wearing a T-shirt that has the
letters "FEH," which stands for "Free Eddie House."
"I didn't know about it, but that's good to get some influence
from somebody who's close to him," House said.
House shot 7-of-13 and added five assists in his 26 minutes.
"It feels good to come in and contribute and help the team
win," House said. "I was taking what the defense was giving me,
coming off screens and getting into the lane.
"When I started going to the hole, they backed off and gave me
opportunities to shoot the ball."
House and Anthony Carter combined for 33 points as the Heat kept
pace with their rivals in the Eastern Conference by rolling to
their eighth win in their last 10 home games.
With Hardaway missing the game because of a death in his family
and the Heat already without shooting guard Eddie Jones, the burden
fell on Miami's reserve guards.
House and Carter were up to the task.
Carter, starting for only the third time this season, scored 17
points and had seven assists.
Hardaway was in Chicago, and his absence was the latest run of
tough luck for the Heat this season. They've been without center
Alonzo Mourning all year due to his kidney disorder, and Jones has
missed the last six games with a dislocated shoulder.
Anthony Mason led the Heat with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and
Brian Grant added 12 points.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim led Vancouver with 20 points and eight
rebounds, and Michael Dickerson added 16 points.
"They were too aggressive for us," Grizzlies coach Sidney Lowe
said. "They turned up the intensity in the second half and we
didn't match that."
Vancouver has lost 12 of 14 games and four straight on the road
against Eastern Conference opponents.
"We're having a tough schedule right now, but so are a lot of
teams," Dickerson said. "However, after four games in five
nights, it's time for a break."
The Heat stayed within a half-game of the Knicks in the battle
for third place in the Eastern Conference. Miami also stayed one
game ahead of the fifth-place Hornets.
"Every game is important from here on out," Grant said. "We
know we had opportunities early in the year that we didn't
capitalize on. We know we could be in better position – maybe even
right behind Philly."
The Heat opened a 17-point lead in the first quarter at 29-12,
but the Grizzlies chopped that down to 47-44 at halftime. Vancouver
outscored Miami 28-18 in the second quarter, with Mahmoud
Abdul-Rauf sparking an 16-5 rally to open the period.
The Heat took command midway through the third period,
outscoring the Grizzlies 14-5 in the final 5:22 to open a 75-62
lead after three quarters. House scored 12 of Miami's 28 points in
the period on 5-of-8 shooting.
"Through adversity comes opportunities," Mason said. "Some of
our guys came off the bench and stepped up and did the job."
Game notes
Vancouver guard Mike Bibby struggled, scoring just five
points on 2-of-11 shooting. ...Current Grizzlie players Grant Long
and Kevin Edwards played on the Heat's inaugural team in 1988-89.
...Vancouver is 7-27 on the road. ... Coach Pat Riley expects
Hardaway to return to the team by Monday. ...The Heat don't play
again until Wednesday, their only game in a span of seven days.
...Miami is 8-2 all-time against Vancouver. ...Mason now has 31
double-doubles for the season. ...The game was the 1,500th as a
head coach for the Heat's Pat Riley, who is 1,039-461.
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NBA Scoreboard
Vancouver Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 106
Atlanta 90
Charlotte 95
Washington 93
Miami 95
Vancouver 81
New York 101
Chicago 80
Dallas 109
Phoenix 99
Houston 103
San Antonio 99
Milwaukee 87
Philadelphia 78
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