RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Big games from two players accustomed to the
Heat's aggressive style helped Cleveland top Miami on Friday night.
Clarence Weatherspoon had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Chris
Gatling added 15 points and three hustle plays in the final minutes
to spark the Cavaliers to an 85-80 victory.
Weatherspoon and Gatling, acquired from Miami in the three-team
trade that sent Shawn Kemp from the Cavs to Portland, helped
Cleveland (9-3) improve to 6-0 at home.
"We just grinded it out," Cavs coach Randy Wittman said. "It
wasn't pretty, but when you got guys diving on the floor and giving
weakside help, this team just found a way."
Gatling blocked a shot by Brian Grant with 3:26 left to preserve
a 78-75 lead. Twenty seconds later, the 6-foot-10 forward scrapped
his way to an offensive rebound and putback that gave Cleveland a
five-point lead.
"Coach said to watch the baseline, stop letting them drive the
middle, and we made an adjustment," Gatling said of his block. "I
was the weakside help and it was just a simple block. Then we were
off and running the other way."
Gatling later skidded along the court to come up with a steal
with 1:56 left.
"Everybody on this team plays like that," Gatling said.
"Energy is a big key to our game."
Eddie Jones led Miami with 19 points. Tim Hardaway added 17.
Cleveland won back-to-back games over the same opponent for the
first time since sweeping a home-and-home set from Indiana in
January 1992. The Cavs beat the Heat 86-67 Wednesday in Miami.
"We used to kill these guys, beat them up pretty good,"
Hardaway said. "I think before they beat us on Wednesday we won
something like 16 (actually eight) straight from them."
Miami led by seven points midway through the third quarter, but
Cleveland used a 12-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to
take a 68-62 advantage.
Grant, booed by the sellout crowd of 20,562 every time he
touched the ball, led the Heat on a comeback by scoring six
straight points later in the fourth to pull Miami to 75-73. Grant,
who refused to come to Cleveland in a proposed deal from Portland,
finished with 14 points.
"I thought our guys wanted it," Heat coach Pat Riley said.
"But wanting it is only half of it. Wanting it and then executing
it with want is the other half and we didn't have the other half."
Cleveland outshot the Heat and held a 22-11 rebounding advantage
in the first half, but Miami stayed in the game by hitting 10 of 11
free throws.
Anthony Carter's running eight-footer with one second left gave
the Heat a 41-40 lead at intermission.
Game
notes
Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a career-high six
blocked shots. ... Since Riley took over as the Heat's coach in
1995, Miami is 16-3 against the Cavaliers. The loss snapped the
Heat's eight-game winning streak in Cleveland. ... Miami last lost
to Cleveland twice in a season in 1992-93. ... Cleveland's bench
outscored the Heat's reserves, 26-5.
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NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 76
Atlanta 67
Boston 103
Orlando 98
Cleveland 85
Miami 80
Detroit 118
Vancouver 96
Indiana 99
Washington 87
Charlotte 106
Milwaukee 90
Denver 102
San Antonio 92
Phoenix 80
Golden State 74
Utah 97
New Jersey 85
Seattle 98
LA Clippers 81
LA Lakers 115
Minnesota 108
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