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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) -- With their two centers serving one-game
suspensions, the Sacramento Kings had little defense for Miami's
Anthony Mason and Brian Grant.
|  | | Miami's Brian Grant, right, wonders if there's enough room to get past Sacramento's Lawrence Funderburke. |
Mason, returning from a one-game banishment, had 25 points and
13 rebounds and Grant added 23 as the Heat beat the short-handed
Kings 114-104 Wednesday night.
The victory snapped Sacramento's five-game winning streak. The
Kings were without Bobby Jackson, Vlade Divac, Scot Pollard and Art
Long, who served one-game suspensions for their roles in a fight
Tuesday night at Orlando.
"We were really overmatched," Kings coach Rick Adelman said.
"I think they missed Bobby Jackson the most," Heat coach Pat
Riley said. "He really disrupts with his full-court pressure. He's
tough as nails. Then not having their two bangers inside, Divac and
Pollard, leveled their game."
Mason was sent home early from Minneapolis by Riley on Monday
after showing up late for a mandatory team meeting Sunday night.
Mason was not suspended, but Riley fined him $250.
The 6-foot-8 forward refused to talk about the early trip back
to Miami, saying only: "God has a strange way of getting his
soldiers some rest."
The rest appeared to do him some good.
Mason shot 12-for-21 and added four assists and a block.
"I just wanted to come back and get a victory, no matter who
we're playing and not miss a step," Mason said.
Tim Hardaway emerged from a shooting slump to score 20 and
seldom-used Cedric Ceballos provided a spark off the bench, adding
a season-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat trailed 40-23 in the second quarter, but used a 17-0 run
to even the score. Mason and Ceballos scored six points each in the
spurt and Hardaway added the other five.
"This team has a habit when our backs are against the wall of
coming out like we're fighting for food or something," Mason said.
"We have to come out like we're starving every night."
Miami was up by eight at halftime and never looked back. The
Heat led by 18 midway through the third quarter.
Ceballos, coming off a 17-point game at Minnesota, was tough to
stop. He was running the floor in transition, getting offensive
rebounds and putbacks and even playing a little defense.
He had a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that pushed the lead to
92-79, then converted a three-point play. He could be a key for
Miami down the stretch, especially with Eddie Jones sidelined
indefinitely with a dislocated left shoulder.
"We saw Cedric Ceballos emerge," Grant said. "We've seen him
come out the last couple of games, and the fans got a taste of
Cedric and the excitement of this team when we run."
The Heat finished with 23 fastbreak points and 56 points in the
paint.
Chris Webber led the Kings with 26 points and 17 rebounds and
Doug Christie added 24 points, but the Kings couldn't overcome the
suspensions.
Jackson was suspended for one game and fined $7,500 for fighting
with Orlando's Tracy McGrady after McGrady hit Jackson in the face
with the ball. Divac, Pollard and Long were suspended one game for
leaving the Kings' bench.
"Everybody knows it's a rule; everybody knows what you should
do. But I don't understand it," Adelman said. "Ninety percent of
the guys who get suspended don't do anything. There was a timeout,
guys stepped on the court and it happened away from our bench but
right in front of it. A guy takes a couple of steps and it costs
him $8,000 to $10,000? I know it's a rule, but maybe some rules
should be revisited.
"I'm a little frustrated because I don't think anyone on our
team was really over there. It's a rule, and we know that. But it's
still very difficult for guys to stop, but they did stop."
Game notes
Trying to throw a pass to Ahmad Rashad at the end of the
first quarter, retired Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino misfired
twice before hitting his open target. ... Hardaway's 3-pointer in
the second quarter extended Miami's NBA record for consecutive
games with a 3 to 573. ... The Kings were 12-for-23 from 3-point
range. ... The Heat committed just five turnovers.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Sacramento Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
McGrady hit with two-game suspension by NBA
Jackson says McGrady got carried away
RECAPS
Washington 103
Detroit 96
Charlotte 100
Vancouver 95
Orlando 97
Cleveland 87
Miami 114
Sacramento 104
San Antonio 106
Minnesota 100
Philadelphia 85
Chicago 67
Denver 95
Indiana 83
Phoenix 84
Portland 79
Utah 102
Golden State 83
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