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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Anthony Mason could not be stopped Sunday
night, and neither could the Miami Heat.
Mason made 10 of 14 shots from the field and scored 23 points to
lead the Heat to a methodical 91-79 victory over the Cleveland
Cavaliers.
"Nothing stops us except ourselves," Mason said. "We played
good basketball for a whole game. We were all out collectively."
Miami took command with a 10-0 run midway through the third
quarter to lead 62-52. Eddie Jones scored five quick points in the
spurt on a fastbreak layup and, 19 seconds later, a 3-pointer from
the corner.
Lamond Murray and Andre Miller each scored 14 points to lead
Cleveland, which lost for the 16th time in its last 18 games and is
7-29 since Dec. 16.
Tim Hardaway and Jones each scored 18 points for Miami, which
won for the fourth time in its last five games following a
three-game losing streak.
"We just pushed it," Hardaway said. "Nobody thinks we can
run, so we got some fastbreak buckets."
Cleveland went scoreless over a 4:10 span and made just five of 13
shots (38 percent) from the field in the third quarter.
"That's what carries us, what we think of first is defense,"
Mason said.
Whatever hopes Cleveland had for a comeback were dashed early in
the fourth quarter when Dan Majerle sank five consecutive free
throws. Majerle was fouled by Bimbo Coles on a 3-point attempt and
sank each foul shot. Twenty-seven seconds later he made two more
for a 79-64 lead.
With Murray scoring 11 points, the Cavs' reserves kept Cleveland
close early, outscoring the Heat reserves 21-7 in the first half.
Murray made just one of three shots in the second half.
"That's just the way the flow of the game goes," Murray said.
"They trapped us on defense and I just didn't get the ball."
Mason made six of nine shots from the field in the first half to help
the Heat take a 47-42 advantage at intermission.
Game notes
Heat center Brian Grant, who refused a trade to Cleveland
from Portland last summer and eventually went to Miami, was booed
each time he touched the ball. "They love me here," he said.
"There's no bad blood. It's just something for the fans to do."
Grant had six points on 3-for-10 shooting. ... Mason's
double-double was his 26th this season. ... Heat coach Pat Riley
has a 205-64 (.762) career record in March. ... Since Riley took
over as coach, Miami is 176-45 (.796) when it has held the
opposition to less than 90 points. ... Cavs guards Miller, Jim Jackson,
Bimbo Coles and Wesley Person shot a combined 11-for-32 (.343). ...
Miami outscored the Cavs 30-6 on 3-point shots. ... Cavs opponents
have launched 413 more 3-point shots than Cleveland this season, an
average of 7.1 more a game.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 98
New York 88
Charlotte 116
Boston 97
Detroit 93
Orlando 84
New Jersey 120
Indiana 96
Utah 118
Washington 98
Minnesota 119
Seattle 111
Miami 91
Cleveland 79
LA Lakers 110
Golden State 95
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