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Heat overtake Bucks, snap eight-game skid

Mar 19, 2008 - 4:01 AM By JR Radcliffe PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) - It was a rare moment of levity for Miami Heat coach Pat Riley.

Jason Williams and Chris Quinn combined for 23 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Miami Heat to a 112-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

"J-Will and Chris Quinn, that's the best backcourt since Jerry West and Gail Goodrich," Riley deadpanned in his postgame press conference.

Quinn had three of the Heat's six 3-pointers in the final period as Miami won for just the 12th time this season.

"There he is," said Riley as Quinn walked past the gathering of press reporters in the Bradley Center hallway. "That's Gail Goodrich right there."

The Heat haven't enjoyed many jovial postgame moods in 2007-08, but everything was clicking against Milwaukee. Miami registered a season-high for 3-pointers (14) and assists (33), part of a stirring fourth-quarter comeback that included the first 13 points of the period and a 17-0 run overall.

"We kept it real simple, the shots were in but they were wide-open shots," Riley said. "Simple pick-and-rolls. We've lost eight in a row, and it's a little bit tough when you're losing all the times. So you need some of these games to feel good about yourself."

It was the first win for Miami (12-54) since February 29 at Seattle and snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Four players reached double figures for the Heat, including Williams (21 points), who hit five 3-pointers in nine tries, and Quinn (17 points), who hit a pair of 3-pointers as key strokes in the barrage to start the fourth quarter.

"It feels good to get a win," Williams said. "They're few and far between around here."

Quinn's basket and a breakaway dunk by Bobby Jones pulled the Heat within 77-72 at the end of the third quarter, after Milwaukee led by as many as 14 in the period.

Miami completely turned the tables and built their lead to as large as 14 in the fourth quarter before the Bucks mounted a late charge.

"It was pick-and-roll related stuff," Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "They ran the same play over and over again. There were times when we didn't get the ball trapped the way we wanted to. There were parts of our rotations that were slow. We overhelped on rollers and let pop guys come out and catch and shoot. There were a variety of different miscoverages, basically."

Mo Williams, who registered a double-double with 26 points and 10 assists, registered a pair of old-fashioned 3-point plays down the stretch and pulled the Bucks within four points but never closer.

Milwaukee (23-44), playing without center Andrew Bogut for the second straight outing, lost their ninth game in 10 tries despite 27 points from Michael Redd. Michael Ruffin also delivered an inspired effort off the bench, scoring a career-high 14 points and bringing in 16 rebounds, including 10 in the second quarter alone.

"Everyone's a little frustrated, everyone's a little down," Ruffin said. "It's our job, we have to go out there and keep working. We have to go out there and battle and try to make the most of the opportunities that we have left."

Rookie Daequan Cook (12 points) scored 10 tallies in the first quarter and drew the defensive assignment on Redd, a fellow former Ohio State Buckeye.

"He's a great player, one of the best in the league in scoring," Cook said. "My thing was tonight to be a lot more aggressive and get up in his grill. He's a great shooter, and sometimes the hand won't bother him."

The Heat played without Shawn Marion down the stretch, after his balky back stiffened. Marion, who missed each of the previous two games, did log 28 minutes in the contest and finished with eight points and 12 rebounds.

Without Marion, the stage was set for some unlikely heroes, including Quinn.

"What you see in Chris is two years of absolute hard work," Riley said. "Every day, before practice, after practice, days off, midnight ... he's just improved himself as a player. He's a great shooter."

Earl Barron had 16 points while Williams and Ricky Davis (14 points) each contributed to Miami's season high collection of assists with 10 each.

"This is what it's about - supporting players getting a chance to play and doing something," Riley said.