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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) -- Even Alonzo Mourning took a turn Saturday filling
in for Tim Hardaway.
|  | | Alonzo Mourning had 20 points, nine rebounds and a Miami playoff-record nine swats. |
Standing at the top of the key, the 6-foot-10 Mourning put the
ball on the floor, drove around Mikki Moore and hit a dunk that
brought the crowd to its feet.
An audition to play point guard?
"Nah," Mourning said, laughing. "That's not what I get paid
to do."
But thanks to a collective effort led by Mourning and Jamal
Mashburn, the Miami Heat didn't miss Hardaway much in their playoff
opening, beating the Detroit Pistons 95-85.
Mourning nearly had a triple double, finishing with 20 points,
nine rebounds and a Heat playoff-record nine blocks. Mashburn came
through with the best playoff game of his seven-year career,
scoring 29 points and adding five assists.
Dan Majerle contributed his first double-double of the season
with 11 points and 10 rebounds. And rookie Anthony Carter had 10
points, seven assists and four steals as a replacement for
Hardaway, who sat out with a sore foot.
"We had some great performances," said coach Pat Riley, who
earned his 150th playoff victory. "It's a good way for us to
start."
Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Tuesday.
The Pistons had said they wanted to start the postseason in
Miami, but they hardly looked at home against the Heat. Grant Hill
scored only 13 points, had six turnovers and was clearly affected
by a bone bruise in his left foot.
"It hurt," Hill said. "It affected me. The good thing is
we've got some time to rest."
Hill sat out the final three regular-season games. Coach George
Irvine said doctors assured him that the All-Star forward isn't
risking further injury by playing.
"He's not the Grant Hill we all know," Irvine said, "but he's
still a very effective player at 50 or 75 percent."
Jerry Stackhouse led Detroit with 23 points and exchanged words
with Heat players after the game.
"We were just giving a little more excitement for Game 2," he
said. "We're going to have a little jawing here and there."
Mourning's intimidating presence on defense helped to quiet the
Pistons, who committed 18 turnovers and finished 18 points below
their regular-season average of 103.5 per game, second-best in the
NBA. Detroit shot only 36 percent in the second half.
"The Heat play a style of defense that is very aggressive and
very good," Irvine said. "It can put you on the heels for a
while."
Mashburn's point total was a career playoff high and far above
his career postseason average of 9.6 per game. He helped Miami get
off to a fast start with 11 points in the first quarter, finished
10-for-17 and even played some point guard.
"I don't put much too stock into this one," said Mashburn,
considered an underachiever since joining the Heat in 1997. "We've
got a long way to go, but hopefully I'll have more of these."
The first postseason game in 19,600-seat AmericanAirlines Arena
lacked much playoff atmosphere. Announced attendance was 16,500 and
there were hundreds of empty seats in the lower bowl.
Civic unrest Saturday in Miami stemming from the Elian Gonzalez
custody case might have contributed to the crowd's subdued mood.
"It's unfortunate," Mashburn said. "But the way I look at it,
we've got to be the entertainment and take their minds off it."
Mourning's drive-and-dunk came during a 10-0 Heat run that put
them up 62-50. Mashburn sank two long jumpers early in the fourth
quarter for a 79-64 lead.
The Heat ran off 12 consecutive points in the opening period to
go ahead 23-14. Detroit's last lead was at 36-35.
"They played well," Hill said. "They did a good job with
their defense keeping us from getting to the basket. They played
smarter. They played harder. No excuses -- they were the better
team."
Game notes
Heat fan Jorge Gonzalez, 18, won two season tickets for
next season by camping out at the arena for 48 hours, then
outscoring 92 other fans on a trivia quiz. ... The Heat's flagship
radio station, WIOD-AM, pre-empted the game with coverage of
community unrest in the Elian Gonzalez custody case. The game was
instead broadcast on WINZ-AM. ... The Pistons attempted 31 free
throws per game this season, the most in the NBA. ... Miami was
17-13 without Hardaway during the regular season. ... Carter had
two blocks, only three less than his regular-season total. ... The
Pistons have five consecutive playoff road losses.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
Hardaway must sit out Heat playoff opener
Mashburn shows timely flash of brilliance
RECAPS
Miami 95
Detroit 85
Phoenix 72
San Antonio 70
Utah 104
Seattle 93
Philadelphia 92
Charlotte 82
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pat Riley talks about Mashburn's clutch performance.
wav: 234 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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