RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) -- It was only fitting that the Milwaukee Bucks won
the game with a 3-pointer after they rallied back from a 22-point
deficit in the fourth quarter with long-range shots.
| | Ervin Johnson was simply magical for the Bucks, coming off the bench for 14 rebounds. |
Lindsey Hunter hit five 3-pointers to get Milwaukee back in it and Sam Cassell won it with a 3 with 0.9 seconds left that gave the Bucks a 102-101 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
The Bucks trailed 85-63 in the fourth quarter before starting their comeback. Cassell, who scored 15 points, capped the rally in the final second.
Milwaukee took possession following a jump ball with 7.1 seconds left. After the inbound pass, Cassell worked to the top of the key and shot from about 25 feet.
"We had a lot of misdirection going on," Cassell said. "I came open and let it go. As soon as I got the ball I was going for the win. We didn't have enough left to win this game in overtime."
While the Bucks celebrated at midcourt, Heat players were crushed following a fourth straight defeat that dropped them to 5-9.
"When you're struggling the way we are and you get a 20-point
lead, losing is extra, extra bad," Heat guard Tim Hardaway said.
"It was probably our best game for three quarters, but to lose a
game like this at home in the fourth quarter is tough."
Hunter scored 23 points for Milwaukee, Glenn Robinson added 22 and Ray Allen had 21.
Eddie Jones led the Heat with 26 points, and Hardaway added 23. Bruce Bowen scored a career-high 20 for Miami.
After winning at Orlando on Monday night, the Bucks used a
41-point fourth quarter to scramble back against Miami.
"I don't know what to say," coach George Karl said. "These kind of games happen once a year, and we got it at a great time. Our team had not been playing too well, so we went to a small lineup and got going."
The Heat wasted a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter as the
Bucks rallied behind five 3-pointers from Hunter to tie it at 87.
Hunter's fifth 3-pointer capped the 24-2 run with 4:21 left.
"George told me to keep shooting," Hunter said. "He had confidence in me. I had been feeling bad because I hadn't been coming through for him."
Hardaway's 3-pointer put Miami ahead 95-93, and his runner in
the lane opened a 99-95 lead with 36.6 seconds to play.
After Hardaway hit two free throws to put Miami ahead 101-97, the Bucks answered with Allen's driving layup to close the gap to 101-99 with 8.1 seconds to play.
Miami's Anthony Carter then missed a pair of free throws, and a jump ball followed. The Bucks controlled the tip, setting up
Cassell's heroics.
"It wasn't the pressure. I just missed the free throws," Carter said.
The Heat took control of the game with a 20-2 run in the third
quarter, extending a 53-51 lead to 73-53 with 3:07 left. Bowen hit
a pair of 3-pointers during the spurt, while Hardaway scored four
points and added three assists.
The Bucks missed 11 straight shots during one stretch of the
third period and wound up shooting just 31 percent (8-of-26) for
the period.
Game notes The injury-riddled Bucks used their eighth starting lineup
in 15 games. Robinson returned to the starting lineup after being
used in a rare bench role the night before. Against Orlando on
Monday night, Robinson, who has battled the flu, came off the bench
for only the sixth time in 437 career games. ... Newly acquired
small forward Cedric Ceballos made his debut for the Heat, but
failed to score in five minutes. ... After missing three games with
a strained calf, Jones has bounced back by averaging 21 points in
his last three games.
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NBA Scoreboard
Milwaukee Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
Denberg: Bucks look nothing like contenders
RECAPS
Atlanta 102 Washington 75
Boston 87 Cleveland 72
Milwaukee 102 Miami 101
Utah 98 New Jersey 92
Dallas 107 Toronto 93
Minnesota 96 Chicago 76
Sacramento 88 Houston 81
Seattle 105 Portland 93
LA Lakers 124 Indiana 107
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