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 Bucks beat Heat 98-86 Allen, Robinson combine for 60 in ending Miami's win streak
Posted: Wednesday April 14, 1999 11:58 PM
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Bucks legitimized their playoff aspirations by finally beating a member of the East's elite. Ray Allen scored a season-high 31 and Glenn Robinson added 29 Wednesday night as the Bucks moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference by whipping the Miami Heat 98-86. "This is a big win against a big team," said Bucks coach George Karl, who, for the first time all year, found nothing to harp on after the game: "I don't remember a big hole tonight." That's because there were none. The Bucks began the night 0-2 against all three of the top teams in the Eastern Conference: Orlando, Miami and Indiana, and Allen had maintained that until Milwaukee knocked off one of them, playoff talk was premature. Beating the Heat was no easy task for the Bucks, who haven't been to the playoffs in seven seasons. Miami had won six straight, 12 in a row at the Bradley Center and 22 of the last 23 meetings with Milwaukee. "That's probably our best victory against a great team," Robinson said. "We've got a lot of confidence after this." So, are the Bucks talking playoffs? "I don't think we're close. We are a playoff caliber team," Robinson said. "We've just got to play other teams this way." And that means both Robinson and Allen having big nights, something they'd been unable to muster before Wednesday night. "I don't know about 29 and 31, but if we can make our shots and get the tempo going, this team can win," Robinson said. Allen took it a step further. "If we both have a good game, nobody can stop us," he said.
Alonzo Mourning scored 30 for the Heat and Tim Hardaway had 18. Jamal Mashburn, who had 25 points against Milwaukee on Sunday, was held to five. Miami's bench didn't score at all in the first half, and the Heat was outscored 25-13 in the second quarter for a 49-35 halftime deficit. "We were stopping them early but they scored off their second shots, which killed us," Mourning said. "I'll take partial blame for that because Ervin Johnson played well." So did Robinson and Allen. Allen, who inexplicably drove to the basket with time running out and Miami up by three points in the Bucks' 95-92 loss to the Heat on Sunday, atoned in a big way. He had a short jumper and a 3-pointer in the opening 90 seconds of the second half as the Bucks scored the first seven points to stretch their run to 13-2 and make it 56-35. Allen's dunk and Robinson's 3-pointer off a missed layup by Mourning made it 63-39 and forced a disgusted Heat coach Pat Riley to call timeout. The Heat responded with a 11-2 run to trail 65-50 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Miami had trimmed it to 78-65 when Allen was fouled by Terry Porter with two-tenths of a second left in the quarter. Riley drew a technical for arguing the call and Allen sank all three free throws for an 81-65 lead. The closest the Heat got in the fourth quarter was 97-86 after Voshon Lenard hit four straight 3-pointers in garbage time. Until then, the Heat's bench had been outscored 30-3. "We just never got on track," Riley said. "We were just basically there and did not execute. We gave them a lot of energy besides the energy they brought." Three nights after becoming the first team all year to shoot 50 percent on the Heat, the Bucks shot 48 percent. "They're the best shooting team in the NBA," Riley said. "They frustrated the hell out of us. I've always said shooting makes up for all sins. All kinds of sins and they can shoot the hell out of it. "They're moving up. I see them as a formidable team down the stretch." Notes: Tim Thomas injured his right wrist when he charged P.J. Brown in the third quarter. Brown hit his head on the floor. Neither returned, but neither injury was considered serious. ... Bucks point guard Haywoode Workman started despite a strained groin. ... Michael Curry started for Milwaukee in place of Thomas, who was outplayed by Mashburn on Sunday when Mashburn had 15 points in the opening quarter and 21 by halftime but scored just four more with Curry guarding him.
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