Box Score

 

MIAMI (94)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
M Allen             33  7-11   0-0   2-4   1   1   14
C Butler            39  8-15   8-9   1-3   0   4   24
B Grant             39   2-7   0-0   1-9   2   4    4
T Best              27   3-8  9-10   0-3   6   6   15
E House             24   5-8   1-2   0-2   1   5   12
V Stepania          20   2-3   1-1   0-8   0   3    5
R Butler            26   2-6   1-4   0-6   1   3    5
M James             21   5-8   3-4   1-2   3   4   15
L Ellis             11   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
L Ellis            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
E Jones            DNP  - STRAINED LEFT GROIN                            
S Marks            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 34-66 23-30  5-37  14  31   94
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.515, FT-.767. 3-Point Goals:
3-5, .600 (E House 1-1, R Butler 0-1, M James
2-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked Shots:3 (B 
Grant 2, V Stepania). Turnovers:9 (C Butler 
3, B Grant 2, T Best 2, E House, R Butler). 
Steals: 5 (C Butler 2, B Grant, T Best, E 
House).


HOUSTON (82)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
E Griffin           35  6-13   1-2  4-12   0   0   14
J Posey             28  2-10   2-4   1-6   1   4    6
Y Ming              32   4-8   2-2   1-8   3   4   10
S Francis           41  6-18 14-18   5-6   1   5   27
C Mobley            42  3-10   3-6   0-3   3   2   10
T Morris            18   1-3   0-0   0-3   1   3    3
K Cato              16   2-5   1-2   6-8   0   4    5
M Taylor            13  2-10   2-2   2-2   0   1    6
M Norris            10   0-0   1-2   0-0   1   0    1
J Hawkins            5   0-2   0-2   0-1   0   1    0
J Collier          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
B Nachbar          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 26-79 26-40 19-49  10  24   82
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.329, FT-.650. 3-Point Goals:
4-21, .190 (E Griffin 1-4, J Posey 0-3, S 
Francis 1-6, C Mobley 1-6, T Morris 1-2). 
Team Rebounds: 11. Blocked Shots:2 (K Cato, E
Griffin). Turnovers:8 (S Francis 3, J Posey 
3, M Taylor, E Griffin). Steals: 6 (S Francis
3, K Cato, E Griffin, C Mobley).

-------------------------------------------
MIAMI                26  30  14  24   -  94
HOUSTON              18  23  20  21   -  82
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Miami - 2 (Defensive Three, 
6:20 2nd; E House, 4:28 4th). Houston - 1 (S 
Francis, 4:28 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 15,310. T: 2:24. 
Officials: Blane Reichelt, Mike  Henderson, 
Tom Washington.

Extended Box

 

MIAMI (94) AT HOUSTON (82)

MIAMI

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
M ALLEN           F    33    7-11     0-0      2   2   4    1   1   0   0   14
C BUTLER          F    39    8-15     8-9      1   2   3    0   4   2   3   24
B GRANT           C    39    2-7      0-0      1   8   9    2   4   1   2    4
T BEST            G    27    3-8      9-10     0   3   3    6   6   1   2   15
E HOUSE           G    24    5-8      1-2      0   2   2    1   5   1   1   12
V STEPANIA             20    2-3      1-1      0   8   8    0   3   0   0    5
R BUTLER               26    2-6      1-4      0   6   6    1   3   0   1    5
M JAMES                21    5-8      3-4      1   1   2    3   4   0   0   15
L ELLIS                11    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
L ELLIS               DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
E JONES               DNP  - STRAINED LEFT GROIN                                      
S MARKS               DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   34-66    23-30     5  32  37   14  31   5   9   94
                            (.515)  (.767)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 10 (10 PTS)    

HOUSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
E GRIFFIN         F    35    6-13     1-2      4   8  12    0   0   1   1   14
J POSEY           F    28    2-10     2-4      1   5   6    1   4   0   3    6
Y MING            C    32    4-8      2-2      1   7   8    3   4   0   0   10
S FRANCIS         G    41    6-18    14-18     5   1   6    1   5   3   3   27
C MOBLEY          G    42    3-10     3-6      0   3   3    3   2   1   0   10
T MORRIS               18    1-3      0-0      0   3   3    1   3   0   0    3
K CATO                 16    2-5      1-2      6   2   8    0   4   1   0    5
M TAYLOR               13    2-10     2-2      2   0   2    0   1   0   1    6
M NORRIS               10    0-0      1-2      0   0   0    1   0   0   0    1
J HAWKINS               5    0-2      0-2      0   1   1    0   1   0   0    0
J COLLIER             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
B NACHBAR             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   26-79    26-40    19  30  49   10  24   6   8   82
                            (.329)  (.650)  TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 8 (8 PTS)      
  
   MIAMI              26   30   14   24   -   94
   HOUSTON            18   23   20   21   -   82
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: MIAMI - B GRANT 2, V STEPANIA.  HOUSTON - K CATO, E GRIFFIN.

3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MIAMI 3-5 (.600), E HOUSE 1-1, R BUTLER 0-1, M JAMES 2-
3. HOUSTON 4-21 (.190), E GRIFFIN 1-4, J POSEY 0-3, S FRANCIS 1-6,
C MOBLEY 1-6, T MORRIS 1-2.
TECHNICAL FOULS: MIAMI - DEFENSIVE THREE, E HOUSE. HOUSTON - S 
FRANCIS.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BLANE REICHELT, MIKE  HENDERSON, TOM WASHINGTON.
A - 15,310. T - 2:24.

Game Story

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Rookie Caron Butler played like the 
veteran the Miami Heat were missing.

Butler stepped up in the absence of Eddie Jones and scored 24
points as the Heat stopped an eight-game road losing streak with
a 94-82 victory over the slumping Houston Rockets.

"This is one of our best games in a long time," Heat coach Pat
Riley said.  "We played well from beginning to end.  It was a
good win against a very good team."

Jones, the Heat's leading scorer, is expected to miss at least a
couple of games after aggravating a left groin injury in
Wednesday's loss to New Orleans.  In January, Miami went 1-6,
including 0-5 on the road, while Jones was out with a sprained
right ankle.

Without their leader, the Heat played a spirited game, never
trailing and shooting a season-best 51.5 percent (34-of-66).
Butler led the way, falling one point shy of a season high.

"Coach said for me to be ready to attack tonight," Butler said.
"Every time I got the ball, I tried to take it to the rack.
We're missing Eddie Jones, so the offense has to go through me.
My teammates did an excellent job of getting me the ball in a
position where I could do something with it."

"He played great.  We're going to go to him from now on," Riley
added.  "He's really matured.  It's time for him step up like he
did.  And he wants it."

Travis Best and Mike James each added 15 points for Miami, which
led by as many as 18 in the first half.

Steve Francis scored 27 points to lead the Rockets, who lost for
the ninth time in their last 13 games.  After the latest
defeat, the Rockets held a team meeting.

"I think he (coach Rudy Tomjanovich) really got his point
across," Francis said.  "Right now, the way we're playing, we're
not going to beat anyone.  They gave us an old-fashioned
butt-whooping."

Houston fell to 12-10 against sub-.500 teams.

"It's something that the guys are very aware of," Tomjanovich
said.  "The only way this is going to change is for everyone to
evaluate what they're doing.  It's some kind of syndrome and
it's mostly mental."

The Heat were in control throughout, building a double-digit
lead less than six minutes into the contest and holding a 26-18
advantage after one quarter behind 10 points from Butler.

Vladimir Stepania and James combined to score the Heat's first
nine points of the second quarter, extending the lead to 35-20.

James led a strong effort by Miami's bench, which outscored the
Rockets' reserves, 25-15.

Butler, who was 8-of-15 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the line,
sank a jumper and Best split a pair of foul shots, giving the
Heat their biggest lead of the first half at 48-30.  They
settled for a 50-33 advantage at the break.

Upset when he slid to 10th in June's draft, Butler clearly was
the best rookie on the floor.  Houston center Yao Ming, the top
overall pick, finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

"The way he played today, he could've been an All-Star," said
Yao, who played in the All-Star Game on Sunday.

The Rockets, who were stagnant offensively for much of the
night, finally found their rhythm in the third quarter and
closed to 66-58 with 4:20 left in the period on two foul shots
by Francis.

Francis was 6-of-18 from the floor but 14-of-18 at the line.

Eddie Griffin added 14 points and 12 rebounds for Houston, which
shot just 33 percent (26-of-79.

A jumper by Terence Morris pulled the Rockets within 75-68 with
6:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.  But Eddie House answered
with a jumper and Brian Grant dunked to help the Heat regain
control.