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Tuesday, Mar. 21 7:30pm ET
Hawks snap four-game losing streak | |||||
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ATLANTA (AP) -- One night after losing to the NBA's best team, the Miami Heat fell to one of the worst. Jim Jackson scored on two drives in the final 1:10 and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 82-77 victory Tuesday night, taking advantage of a Heat squad that was ragged after a 100-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
"A lot has to do with the NBA schedule," Atlanta's Dikembe Mutombo said. "The Lakers was a big game for them, and they were up by 15 before losing. It's not just fatigue. Mentally, I think they were down after the Lakers game." Miami had a five-game winning streak before losing twice in as many nights. They dropped 4 1-2 games behind Indiana for the best record in the Eastern Conference after the Pacers defeated New York 95-91. The Heat remained 1 1-2 games ahead of the Knicks in the Atlantic Division, but Alonzo Mourning was upset about wasting a chance to make up ground on the Pacers. "We have to stop doing this, man," he said. "It ain't difficult to play that team (the Hawks). It's very easy. They make it easy for you to play them. But we get out there and shoot ourselves in the foot." The Hawks, who had lost 11 of their previous 13 games, won for the first time since waiving top scorer Isaiah Rider. Both teams shot only 38 percent, with the Heat managing just 35 points in the second half and going nearly six minutes in the final quarter before scoring its first basket. "We just not doing it on consistent basis," Mourning said. "We're a better team than they are. Obviously." After trailing throughout the final quarter, Miami tied the game at 75 on Don Majerle's 3-pointer with 1:28 remaining. But Jackson picked up a loose ball and drove into the lane to put the Hawks ahead to stay. "A loose ball finally fell our way," said Jackson, who scored eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. "Most of the year, that ball would have gone out of bounds or someone would have kicked it." Mourning missed in close for Miami, giving Jackson a chance to put the Hawks in control. Briefly losing the ball at the top of the key when he tried to go left, he regained control, spun right and found another seam in the Heat's defense, banking in a shot for a 79-75 lead with 33.5 seconds to go. "When there's a loose ball, people tend to relax," Jackson said. "That's the best time to go to the basket." He added two free throws with 6.3 seconds left to clinch the victory. "It was terrible," Miami's Tim Hardaway said. "We have to start playing hard on defense and not let the other team get easy baskets." Jamal Mashburn led the Heat with 20 points. Alan Henderson equaled Jackson as the Hawks' top scorer with 15. Atlanta, with the third-worst record in the East, put its youth movement into full force. In addition to starting rookie Jason Terry at the point, another first-year player, Dion Glover, played a season-high 22 minutes. He scored four points. "It's been two years since I've played that much," said Glover, who missed his final season at Georgia Tech with a knee injury. "I want to show what I can do to help us out."
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Miami Clubhouse Atlanta Clubhouse RECAPS New Jersey 100 Toronto 93
Atlanta 82
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