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Monday, Dec. 6 10:30pm ET
Heat clip L.A. with defense | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Miami Heat are scoring more points this season, but they're still winning with defense. Alonzo Mourning had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks in Monday night's 99-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Carter scored eight of his 20 points in the final 5:34 for the Heat, who held the Clippers to 43 percent shooting. "Defense is really our calling card," forward Jamal Mashburn said. "That's how we compete and that's what we have to rely on. I mean, we can score points if we run the basketball. No matter how many points we score, or how many shots we miss, we're going to have to play defense. That's what's going to win a lot of games for us." Despite playing without injured point guard Tim Hardaway and forward Otis Thorpe, Miami won for the fourth time in five games and improved its record to 13-4, tying the best start in franchise history. Mashburn scored 20 points for the Heat, who are 5-1 without Hardaway, sidelined by a jammed right knee. "In the NBA, any night anybody can beat you," Mashburn said. "The Clippers looked pretty scary tonight, as far as all the talent they have. It's not an automatic win coming in here anymore." Rookie Lamar Odom scored 20 points, and Derek Anderson had his first career triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for the Clippers, who have lost six in a row overall and six straight to Miami. Brian Skinner's tip-in and two free throws, followed by Odom's layup, helped Los Angeles trim a 10-point deficit to 69-66 with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. But Miami responded with 11 consecutive points to take its biggest lead, 80-66, with 9:32 remaining. "We were just trying to be aggressive," Carter said. "Me and Mash were taking the ball to the basket -- and if we didn't have a shot, we'd dish it off. And all the guys were making their shots tonight." The Clippers reduced the deficit to eight points six times in the final four minutes, but each time the Heat came back with a basket of their own. "We just kept playing solid basketball," Riley said. "It wasn't any one thing. We just stayed on them ... made some plays and kept getting it up to 10. We were committed to winning tonight." Clarence Weatherspoon had a dunk and four free throws during a 10-0 run that turned Miami's five-point deficit into a 37-32 lead with six minutes left in the second quarter. "The Miami Heat play Pat Riley basketball -- defense comes first, offense last," Odom said. "I don't think they changed the momentum at all. We just turned the ball over too much." Dan Majerle gave the Heat a 46-44 halftime lead with a 3-point buzzer-beater from 26 feet, the only shot he took during his 13 minutes on the court in the half. It was the 12th consecutive game in which he had at least one 3-point basket. Mourning scored 11 of Miami's first 15 points, but Anderson's 17-footer with one-tenth of a second on the clock capped a 9-2 spurt that gave the Clippers a 31-25 lead at the end of the opening period. Game notesAnderson's triple-double was the first by a Clipper since Mark Jackson did it against Golden State on March 13, 1994. ... Riley could reach the 1,000-victory plateau by the end of the season if Miami wins 40 of its remaining 65 games. ... Taylor committed six turnovers in the first half, one more than the entire Miami team. ... Majerle, who needs 8 points to reach the 10,000 career mark, has never averaged more than 17.3 points in a season. ... Clippers coach Chris Ford is 1-19 in his last 20 games against Riley-coached teams. ... Mourning has blocked an least one shot in 45 consecutive regular-season games, the longest current streak in the league. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Miami Clubhouse LA Clippers Clubhouse RECAPS Denver 94 Philadelphia 77
Miami 99
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