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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) -- The Miami Heat made things a lot more difficult
than coach Pat Riley had hoped.
|  | | New Jersey's Aaron Williams, left, and the Heat's Brian Grant fight for a second-quarter rebound. |
Anthony Mason had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Heat beat the
Nets 81-78 on Thursday night to push their home winning streak to
five games.
After blowing almost all of a 15-point lead in the fourth
quarter, the Heat survived a scare when the Nets were unable to get
off a tying shot in the closing seconds.
Stephon Marbury had 27 points for the Nets, who have lost eight
of their last nine games.
The Heat have won six of seven to improve to 19-15, the first
time they've been four games above .500 this season.
"It was a very inconsistent performance on our part," Riley
said. "We started great. Then, in the last four minutes, it was
back to the same old mindless play -- missing shots, not executing,
not finishing.
"This is why we're 19-15. We have probably given away five or
six games this year because we don't think teams will get back into
it. It's disappointing."
Miami took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Nets
24-8 to take a 70-57 lead.
During one stretch, Miami went on a 14-0 run, hitting three
3-pointers, including a pair by Tim Hardaway. New Jersey was
3-for-17 from the field in the quarter.
The eight points were the fewest scored by the Nets in any
quarter this season, and also were the fewest allowed by the Heat
in a period.
New Jersey rallied in the closing minutes to cut it to 80-78 on
Johnny Newman's 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left.
The Heat failed to close the game out when Hardaway made only
one of two free throws, giving the Nets one last chance with 4.2
seconds left.
The Nets were unable to get off a shot as Bruce Bowen stripped
the ball away from Marbury on his attempt to launch a 3-pointer.
The Nets stopped short of saying the refs cost them the game,
although they insisted that Bowen kicked the ball and that they
should have been allowed one more possession. Instead, time expired
after Bowen knocked the ball loose.
"He kicked it out of bounds, but they didn't call it," Marbury
said.
Added Nets coach Byron Scott: "They didn't call it. Had they
called it, we would have had another chance. Without a doubt, the
ball was kicked. We have three guys out there who didn't see it."
Hardaway had 17 points and eight assists, Bowen added 15 points,
and Brian Grant had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat have played loosely at times down the stretch,
especially at home, blowing leads in the fourth quarter to lose
several times.
It nearly happened again.
The Nets climbed from a 15-point gap midway through the fourth
quarter to come within their last possession of forcing overtime.
"We need to close games out better," Mason said. "It's
unrealistic to think that just because you have a 20-point lead
that you're going to win by 20.
"If a team has a great one-on-one player like Stephon, they're
going to make a run at you. At least we found a way to win this
one. In some similar games earlier this year, we didn't win, so we
have to look at this one as a positive."
Game notes
Before the game, Miami activated guard Anthony Carter from
the injured list and placed forward Don MacLean on the injured
list. Carter, who did not play Thursday night, was placed on the
injured list after straining his left groin against Charlotte on
Dec. 20. MacLean is sidelined by tendinitis in his left quadriceps.
... New Jersey's reserves outscored Miami's backups 16-1 in the
second quarter. ... Eddie Jones had his streak of leading the Heat
in scoring snapped at six games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
RECAPS
Miami 81
New Jersey 78
Minnesota 105
Seattle 92
New York 95
Orlando 92
Chicago 98
Washington 96
Houston 107
Detroit 97
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Eddie Jones throws down the reverse on the break.
avi: 671 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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