Sports - Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets - 11/3/97

CHARLOTTE 112, MIAMI 99
(Box Score)

MIAMI -- Glen Rice broke out of an early-season slump to score 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat, 112-99, for their first victory of the season. Rice, traded from Miami to Charlotte exactly two years ago, had scored just 21 points in his first two games while shooting 27 percent from the floor. He averaged 26.8 points per game last season and was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game.

"It's always a homecoming when I come to Miami," Rice said. "I started my career here, I have a lot of fans and I wanted to put on a good show for them. It's very important we utilized my offensive abilities. I draw a lot of defenders, and we need to make our open shots."

David Wesley added 20 points for the Hornets, who had failed to score more than 90 points in their two losses. Charlotte again was without guard Bobby Phills, who has not played this season due to a sprained right ankle.

Jamal Mashburn had 18 points and Eric Murdock 17 for the Heat, who suffered their first loss after opening with two victories. Miami has surrendered at least 100 points in all three games after allowing just 89.3 per game last season. The Heat surrendered more than 112 points just twice last season.

"We all need to work and get to the same point we were last year as far as defense and aggressiveness," Mashburn said. "We need to play defense. Sometimes you don't shoot the ball well, but you still need to play defense."

Charlotte broke open a close game late in the first quarter. Dell Curry had four points and Matt Geiger three as the Hornets scored the final nine points of the period to take a 32-20 lead. Charlotte took its largest lead at 54-34 on Corey Beck's bucket with 1:22 remaining in the first half.

Miami closed within 70-61 with 2:22 left in the third quarter when Tim Hardaway capped an 11-2 spurt with a layup. Mashburn opened the fourth period with a basket and Terry Mills buried a 3-pointer to bring the Heat as close as they would get at 78-70 with 9:46 to play. But the Hornets pulled away again behind Rice.

Curry and Geiger had 16 points each for the Hornets, who shot 55 percent (40-for-73) from the field.

Charlotte Hornets 112, MIAMI HEAT 99
(Recap)

CHARLOTTE (112)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Rice            36 11-17   6-9   1-8  3  5   28
Mason           36   3-9   1-2  4-11  3  2    7
Divac           19   1-3   0-0   2-3  1  1    2
Beck            32   3-4   1-3   2-4  5  0    7
Wesley          38  6-15   7-8   0-2  8  4   20
Geiger          31   4-8  8-12   2-8  2  4   16
Farmer          12   4-4   3-4   2-6  1  2   11
Curry           17  6-11   3-4   1-3  2  4   16
Reid            10   0-0   0-0   0-1  1  2    0
Delk             9   2-2   0-0   0-0  1  1    5
Bogues         DNP - coach's decision
Phills         DNP - sprained right ankle
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         240 40-73 29-42 14-46 27 25  112
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.548, FT-.690. 3-Point Goals:
3-11, .273 (Rice 0-2, Wesley 1-2, Geiger 0-2,
Curry 1-4, Delk 1-1). Team rebounds: 11. Blocked
shots: 1 (Mason). Turnovers: 22 (Rice 6, Wesley
5, Beck 3, Curry 3, Mason 3, Delk, Geiger).
Steals: 6 (Beck 2, Rice 2, Curry, Farmer).


MIAMI (99)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Mashburn        37  4-15 10-10   2-4  4  5   18
Brown           26  5-13   0-0   0-5  0  6   10
Austin          31   4-9   3-6   1-8  3  3   11
Lenard          27  2-10   0-0   1-5  2  5    5
Hardaway        31  6-12   0-0   1-2  3  3   13
Murdock         27  6-14   4-6   2-2  3  1   17
Mills           19   3-3   0-0   3-4  0  2    8
Majerle          9   1-5   0-0   0-0  1  0    2
Strickland      17   3-6   2-4   4-6  0  3    8
Askins           5   0-2   0-0   1-1  0  0    0
Day             11   2-6   3-4   1-2  0  5    7
Causwell       DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         240 36-95 22-30 16-39 16 33   99
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.379, FT-.733. 3-Point Goals:
5-23, .217 (Mashburn 0-2, Lenard 1-4, Hardaway
1-4, Murdock 1-4, Mills 2-2, Majerle 0-3, Askins
0-1, Day 0-3). Team rebounds: 12. Blocked shots:
4 (Strickland 2, Austin, Brown). Turnovers: 13
(Austin 4, Hardaway 4, Mashburn 2, Brown,
Murdock, Strickland). Steals: 13 (Hardaway 3,
Murdock 3, Day 2, Mashburn 2, Austin, Lenard,
Strickland).
____________________________________________
Charlotte          32   22   22   36  -  112
Miami              20   17   28   34  -   99
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Miami 2 (Hardaway, 3:51 2nd;
Illegal Defense, 9:29 4th). Flagrant fouls: None.
A: 14,587. T: 2:15. Officials: Don Vaden, Jim
Capers, Tommy Nunez.