Latest Game Recap

Miami 97, Cleveland 74

03/12/98 - On Thursday, March 12, the Miami Heat routed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 97-74, handing the Cavs their sixth consecutive loss on the road.

"The others (road losses) we had a chance to win the game," Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello said. "This one we weren't there, weren't competitive. It's disappointing."

Miami's P.J. Brown scored 8 of his 12 points in the second quarter, and pulled down 11 rebounds in just 30 minutes. However, he also got involved in an altercation with Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the second quarter, which resulted in a flagrant foul on Ilgauskas.

"They dominated us inside," Brown said of the Heat's last game against the Cavaliers. "We made sure they weren't going to come in and do that again. We won the rebounding battle and the energy battle."

With the Heat leading, 36-20, with 7:15 left in the second quarter, Brown dunked and made a runner before Ilgauskas grabbed his neck and threw him to the floor.

Miami led by 21 points at halftime, by 32 in the middle of the third quarter, and by 26 entering the fourth quarter. The Heat was coming off a disappointing loss to the Bulls on Tuesday.

"We didn't play hard enough or smart enough to get a win (against the Bulls)," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "Obviously, it was a very good night for us after the first four to five minutes."

Mark Strickland and Alonzo Mourning scored 13 points each, while four other Heat players also scored in double figures. All eleven players who dressed for the game scored for Miami. The Cavaliers' Derek Anderson scored 16 points to lead Cleveland, but his team only shot 35.4 percent from the field. Shawn Kemp shot just 4-for-14, and scored only 8 points in 31 minutes.

Anderson said about a possible match-up between the Heat and the Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, "We got to get there first. Once we get there we'll worry about who we play. I'll play the Dream Team if we can get there."

Check the boxscore of this game from NBA.com.