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Saturday, Dec. 2 8:00pm ET
Rally lifts Heat to comeback victory

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Miami Heat finally figured out how to avoid a fourth-quarter collapse: Play passionately from behind.

Eddie Jones scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as Miami rallied for a 93-90 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Anthony Mason scored 20 points and Tim Hardaway 18 for the Heat, who have beaten Washington in eight straight games and won 12 of 13 against the Wizards.

The Heat's penchant for blowing big last-period leads wasn't an issue after a 17-point third quarter left them trailing 67-59.

"A lot of times in the fourth quarter, we'll be up and let our guards down and let other teams come back and catch us," said Hardaway. "This time it was reversed."

Rod Strickland had 22 points for Washington, which lost its third straight and dropped its fifth decision in six games.

Juwan Howard scored 14 points and Mitch Richmond added 15 before leaving with a knee injury late in the third period. Richmond will not play in Sunday's game at Detroit.

Miami, which has won two straight road games, got a lift from Jones -- who didn't feel he was in the offensive flow and was told by Heat coach Pat Riley to create his own chances.

"Coach looked at me like, `Eddie, are you going to do anything tonight?' I was ticked off because I felt like I wasn't helping the team," Jones said. "I was just on the court, missing wide-open shots, not rebounding. I wasn't doing the things I normally do."

Jones scored the first four points of a 17-6 run at the start of the fourth quarter as the Heat rallied from a nine-point deficit and took a 76-73 lead on Hardaway's 3-pointer with 7:03 remaining.

The Wizards, who shot 4-for-14 from the field in the fourth quarter, rallied. Strickland scored four points in an 8-0 spurt and tied the game at 82 with a pair of free throws with 2:57 remaining.

Washington's Richard Hamilton tied the game at 90 with a minute left, but the Wizards failed to sustain the comeback.

Miami's Anthony Carter was fouled by Gerard King with 36.2 seconds remaining and converted one of two free throws for a 91-90 lead.

Strickland was stripped of the ball by Carter on a drive through the lane with 24 seconds to go. Mason converted two free throws with 12.2 seconds left and Brian Shaw blocked a 3-point try by Hamilton with 4.9 seconds remaining.

Wizards coach Leonard Hamilton said his team missed Richmond in the decisive fourth quarter.

"We don't have the type of team that can absorb the loss of a guy like Mitch Richmond and be just as efficient," Hamilton said. "His maturity was missed down the stretch. We can't win unless all our parts are working."

Washington made its first seven shots from the field and held a 15-12 lead with 7:29 remaining in the first quarter. The Wizards were hampered by the absence of Howard, who went to the bench with two fouls 53 seconds into the game.

Mason had 11 points in the first half, and the Heat closed out the second quarter with an 8-2 run for a 42-39 lead at the break.

Baskets by Strickland bookended an 18-6 run by Washington at the start of the second half as the Wizards charged to a 57-48 lead.

Game notes
Hardaway's 3-pointer 2:57 into the game helped Miami extend its NBA record for consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 524. ... Forward Tyrone Nesby, obtained in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 28, made his Wizards debut, launching an airball on his first field-goal attempt. ... Miami's 34 wins against the Wizards are its most against an opponent. ... Leonard Hamilton drew a technical foul in the first period -- his first as an NBA coach and the third of his 28-year coaching career.
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RECAPS
Atlanta 101
Milwaukee 94

Charlotte 94
Utah 89

Philadelphia 112
Cleveland 78

Orlando 95
New Jersey 74

New York 100
Minnesota 90

Miami 93
Washington 90

Portland 96
Houston 85

Denver 103
Seattle 92

Dallas 97
Golden State 78


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