Spasms Can’t Stop Heat Run

At this rate, the Miami Heat may not have enough healthy backs left to challenge the NBA’s record for the most consecutive games won on the road.

The Heat overcame the loss of Alonzo Mourning to back spasms and extended the league’s top road winning streak to 13 games with a 101-86 victory Friday night over the Hornets at Charlotte.

Miami’s Dan Majerle and Tony Farmer are already on the injured list with back problems, and Gary Grant didn’t make the trip to Charlotte after suffering back spasms in the Heat’s victory over Orlando on Thursday night.

“It’s perplexing,” Coach Pat Riley said. “We work hard, stretch, do a lot of things. I don’t know.”

“My back has tightened up before, but never like this,” said Mourning, who had 12 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. “If you’ve ever had back spasms before, you can relate. Every little twitch you make, every move you make, it feels like somebody’s stabbing you.”

Tim Hardaway scored 26 points and helped fuel the decisive run, and the Heat used defensive pressure to move closer to the Lakers’ league record of 16 consecutive road victories in 1971-72.

Washington 100, Toronto 82--Chris Webber had 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bullets, who climbed over the .500 mark for the first time in more than a month, at Landover, Md.

Juwan Howard had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bullets, who have won seven of nine to improve to 14-13.

The Bullets pulled away by holding the Raptors to one field goal over a nine-minute span in the second half. The score was 64-64 late in the third quarter, but Webber had five points and Howard four in a 16-2 run that put Washington up 80-66 with 6:28 remaining.

Doug Christie scored 20 for the Raptors.

New Jersey 105, Indiana 94--Kendall Gill made eight of nine free throws in the closing minutes, capping a 31-point performance for the Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

New Jersey, which ended a two-game losing streak, was down, 84-82, with 9:28 to play before Gill and Xavier McDaniel led a nine-point spurt that gave the Nets the lead for good at 91-84.

Antonio Davis led the Pacers with 22 points.

Cleveland 94, Milwaukee 86--Terrell Brandon scored 30 points and had four of his 11 assists during a game-ending 16-2 run to lead the Cavaliers at Cleveland.

The victory was Cleveland’s sixth in seven games.

Vin Baker led Milwaukee with 23 points.