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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) – The Miami Heat made another move up the standings,
but this time they weren't in the mood for celebrating.
|  | | The Heat survived without Eddie Jones, who went down with a shoulder injury in the second quarter. |
Brian Grant scored 20 points and Dan Majerle made a 3-pointer in
the final seconds as the Heat overcame the loss of guard Eddie
Jones to defeat the Detroit Pistons 87-84 Monday night.
The Heat won their third straight game and for the fifth time in
six games, but it wasn't easy -- or without casualties.
Jones, the cornerstone of a blockbuster trade with the Hornets
last summer, dislocated his left shoulder in the second quarter and
was taken off on a stretcher. Jones' shoulder will be immobilized for 7-10 days. He will be re-evaluated at that time, a team spokesman said Tuesday.
Jones was injured when he stuck his arm out, trying to strip the ball from Corliss
Williamson. After Jones was taken off on a stretcher, doctors could not pop his shoulder back into place.
The Heat, who moved two games ahead of the idle Knicks for third
place in the East, turned to other players for scoring.
Anthony Mason scored 16 points and added 19 rebounds, and Tim
Hardaway scored 16 points as the Heat moved 13 games above .500.
Majerle, who scored a season-high 12 points, made a 3-pointer
with the shot clock winding down and Miami clinging to an 82-81
lead with 14.3 seconds left. The Pistons answered with a 3-pointer
from Jerry Stackhouse with 7.1 seconds left.
Hardaway hit a pair of free throws with 6.0 seconds left to give
Miami an 87-84 lead. It was Hardaway's first points since the 9:22
mark of the third quarter.
Stackhouse's shot at the buzzer, which would have counted for
two points, rimmed out.
As relieved as they were after winning the game, Heat players
were more concerned about the possible long-term loss of Jones,
their leading scorer.
"We're all feeling bad for Eddie," Grant said. "He's had a
few little bumps and bruises this year, like all of us, but when we
saw him go down and then carried off, we were all concenred."
Added Hardaway: "I didn't know what was going on at first. I
saw this big crowd behind the bench and I thought a fight had
broken out."
The Pistons closed from an eight-point gap at the start of the
fourth quarter within one on Stackhouse's 3-pointer late in the
game, but it wasn't enough.
"We played as hard as we possibly could," Pistons coach George
Irvine said. "We played as hard as Miami. You're here to compete,
and we did that. We hung in the game and were with them all the way
to the end.
"We just didn't get it done. We had some crucial turnovers and
some breakdowns, but that happens."
The Heat completed a four-game sweep of the season series, with
two of the wins coming in overtime. It's Miami's first sweep of
Detroit since 1996-97.
Stackhouse scored 32 points for Detroit, although he also
committed a season-high 11 turnovers.
Williamson added 17 for the Pistons, who have lost five
of their last six.
"I'm disappointed that we lost, but I'm not upset about this
one because everyone competed and played hard," Stackhouse said.
"We gave a great effort; we just came up short. It came down to
them having the last chance to get a great play."
Game notes
Miami's Anthony Carter was called for a flagrant foul when
he grabbed Stackhouse on a breakaway in the second quarter.
Stackhouse turned it into a five-point trip, sinking the two free
throws and adding a 3-pointer off the inbound pass. ...Detroit
activated Jud Buechler before the game while placing rookie Brian
Cardinal (tendinitis in his knees) on the injured list. Buechler
was placed on the IL with back spasms on Feb. 22. ...The Heat are
20-8 at home and 13 games above .500. ...Former Pistons and Heat
coach Ron Rothstein was pressed into broadcast work for the Pistons
because Kelly Tripuka was snowed in. Rothstein is the
head coach of the WNBA's Miami Sol. ...The Pistons haven't won two
in a row since Feb. 3 and 6. ...Ben Wallace has led the Pistons in
rebounding seven straight games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
Heat's Jones dislocates shoulder against Pistons
RECAPS
Utah 109
Atlanta 102
Miami 87
Detroit 84
Milwaukee 107
New Jersey 100
Orlando 95
Dallas 81
San Antonio 91
Vancouver 77
LA Clippers 99
Denver 86
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pat Riley explains the extent of Eddie Jones' shoulder injury.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tim Hardaway says the loss of Eddie Jones is a big one for the Heat.
wav: 128 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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