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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
TORONTO – Tim Hardaway is proving the Miami Heat are an
elite team even without Alonzo Mourning.
|  | | Which way to New York? Former teammates Charles Oakley, left, and Anthony Mason duke it out. |
Hardaway had 18 points and 10 assists, and Anthony Mason scored
six points in overtime as the Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 98-91
Thursday night.
"Don't count us out," Hardaway said. "We're still one of the
best teams."
The Heat, who had six players in double figures, have won three
straight and nine of 11. Mourning is out for the season with a
kidney ailment, but Miami has the second best record in the Eastern
Conference (32-20).
"We're showing everybody we can still play this game,"
Hardaway said.
Hardaway tied the score at 86 by sinking a 3-pointer with 25
seconds left. He then made an 18-foot jumper in overtime to put
Miami ahead 88-86. But Vince Carter, who had a game-high 28 points,
retied the score with a jumper.
Hardaway's driving layup with 2:45 remaining put Miami ahead for
good at 90-88 and Mason then posted up Charles Oakley for a
four-point lead with 2:00 left.
Carter missed one of two free throws, and Hardaway drove to the
basket and passed to Mason, whose hook shot made it 94-89 with just
over a minute remaining.
After Toronto's Mark Jackson missed a jumper and Oakley missed a
3-point attempt, Toronto fouled Eddie Jones, but he missed both
free throws.
Mason made two free throws to clinch it with just under 20
seconds left.
"We were shooting too many jump shots, so I made a conscious
effort to go to the hole and make things happen," Hardaway said.
"I got people to draw on me and we got easy shots."
Mason finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Jones had 18 points, Brian Grant and A.C. Green scored 14 each.
Grant said Hardaway was the difference.
"He may not put up a whole lot of numbers, but at the end of
the game he'll always hit shots for us," Grant said.
After Vince Carter made a spectacular, reverse alley-oop dunk
with 1:38 remaining, Toronto's Alvin Williams made a steal, and
Carter made one of two free throws to give Toronto a two-point lead
with 1:03 left in regulation.
Jones made one of two free throws, and Oakley's long jumper gave
Toronto an 86-83 lead with 41 seconds remaining.
Jones then missed a 3-point attempt, but grabbed the rebound and
passed to Hardaway.
"I was yelling at Eddie, 'Give me the ball, give me the ball,'
and he did and I shot it," Hardaway said.
Carter missed a shot at the buzzer that could have won it for
Toronto.
"I can't explain how it did not go down," Carter said. "I
guess we were supposed to go to overtime."
Green scored 10 points in the second quarter as the Heat led by
as many as 15, but Carter scored eight of Toronto's next 13 points,
narrowing the lead to eight.
Game notes
Mourning received a warm applause when he was shown on the
videoboard. ... Hardaway scored 10 points in the first quarter. ...
Hardaway is averaging over 15 points and six assists a game. ...
Toronto outscored Miami 22-14 in the third quarter. ... Davis had
six blocked shots.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Toronto Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 82
Detroit 73
Miami 98
Toronto 91
Dallas 102
Cleveland 81
San Antonio 102
Washington 78
Portland 105
Sacramento 81
Boston 108
Seattle 88
Vancouver 99
Golden State 89
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Vince Carter Official Site
Mark Jackson Official Site
Lenny Wilkens Official Site
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