House Turns Up the Heat

With his roster depleted and his team about to face one of the NBA’s top teams, Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley challenged his team by asking them, “Who’s got heart?”

After scoring 23 points, including four in the final 34 seconds, in Miami’s 86-80 victory at home over Portland, rookie guard Eddie House returned to the bench and yelled his answer to Riley, “I’ve got heart. I’ve got heart.”

House filled in admirably for the injured Tim Hardaway and Brian Grant, acquired in an off-season deal with Portland, had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Anthony Mason added 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and House added five rebounds and three assists.

The Trail Blazers, who had won six of their previous seven games, were led by Rasheed Wallace with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Smith added 19 points.

Sitting out the game were Hardaway, who had tendinitis in his right knee, and Eddie Jones, who has a right calf strain.

Toronto 111, Milwaukee 102--Vince Carter renewed his rivalry with Ray Allen in a big way by scoring 48 points--the second-highest total of his NBA career--as the Raptors won at Toronto.

Carter, who leads the NBA in scoring, had 30 points in the second half including six in a decisive 10-0 run late in the game. He finished three points shy of his career high of 51, set against Phoenix on Feb. 27.

Minnesota 94, Atlanta 84--Kevin Garnett scored 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Timberwolves beat the struggling Hawks at Atlanta.

Garnett, coming off a season-high 32-point performance in an overtime win over San Antonio Friday night, picked up his eighth double-double in Minnesota’s 10 games.

Houston 94, Phoenix 89--Steve Francis scored 25 points at Houston and Hakeem Olajuwon had a season-high 19 to help the Rockets go over .500.

Washington 109, Boston 89--Behind 21 points from Juwan Howard and 19 from Richard Hamilton, the Wizards became the last team to win a home game this season by beating the Celtics at Washington.

New Jersey 97, Indiana 92--Stephon Marbury had 20 points and 10 assists and Johnny Newman came off the bench to add 16 in the Nets’ win at East Rutherford, N.J.

Utah 109, Chicago 64--Karl Malone snapped out of a three-game shooting slump with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting as the Jazz crushed the overmatched Bulls at Salt Lake City.

Dallas 91, Vancouver 88--Dirk Nowitzki and Hubert Davis each scored 20 points at Vancouver as the Mavericks won for the second consecutive night.

Around the League

Charlotte Coach Paul Silas put Derrick Coleman on the injured list because the power forward is overweight and in poor condition. Coleman missed the preseason and the first four regular-season games because of a change in medication to treat an irregular heartbeat. . . . Toronto activated center Michael Stewart and put center Garth Joseph, who has bruised ribs, on the injured list.