MIAMI, April 5 (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Bucks may go the the playoffs this year and the Miami Heat will not. But one could not see that based Friday night.

Eddie House scored 10 of his season-high 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat handed the Bucks their ninth loss in 12 games, 102-97.

Alonzo Mourning had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Eddie Jones added 17 points for the Heat, who improved to 9-0 this season when they score at least 100 points.

In a game of runs, the Bucks jumped out to a 27-14 lead late in the first quarter and held a 53-48 advantage at halftime. The Heat rallied to take a 71-64 lead on a jumper by Jones with 4:23 left in the third quarter before Milwaukee went on a mini-run to take a 78-77 edge into the final period.

NBA TV highlights from Bucks-Heat: 56k | 300k Eddie House had a devil of a time scoring a game-high 22 points, 10 of those coming in the fourth. Victor Baldizon NBAE/Getty Images

After Anthony Mason scored to give Milwaukee an 80-77 lead, House and Vladimir Stepania scored the next nine points, capped by Stepania's finger roll that extended Miami's advantage to 86-80 with 9:11 to go.

Milwaukee got no closer than 98-96 after Ray Allen hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left. Brian Grant countered with a pair at the line two seconds later, and Allen could only manage 1-of-2 from the stripe with six seconds remaining. House closed the scoring with two free throws with five seconds left.

"Eddie House had a great first half and hurt us offensively and got them back in an offensive rhythm," Bucks coach George Karl said. "Our first quarter definitely was great, then it became an offensive game and they made shots and we didn't. We are usually a good shooting team in the fourth quarter, but tonight we missed a lot of good looks."

"We had a good fourth quarter," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "This is what we haven't been able to do over the last couple of weeks. Eddie House had a great game. I thought Vladi did a great job coming off the bench and rebounding. We stay alive."

Miami (33-42) is in 11th place in the East, four games behind eighth-place Toronto and Indiana, with seven games remaining.

"We can't think about the past," House said. "We need to think about the task at hand, which is getting into the playoffs. We need to come focused every game and play hard. If we take care of our game, I think everything else will fall into place."

"The good thing about all of this, regardless of the facial expressions you guys (the media) make or what the hell you write in the paper, we still have a little light at the end of the tunnel," Mourning said. "You sit around here every day like vultures and (stuff) waiting for someone to die, and it's just that type of energy that I don't like to be around. To tell you the truth, the only reason I'm speaking to you is because I'm a professional."

Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson scored 19 points apiece and Allen added 18 for the Bucks, who won only once in four tries against the Heat this season.

"Eddie House did a good job for his team tonight," Allen said. "He got them big baskets and kept the momentum going their way. He kept them in the game until the fourth quarter, and anything can happen in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter their veterans led them to a victoy."

Milwaukee (39-36) fell into a tie with Philadelphia for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Although both teams shot 46 percent, Miami sank half its 3-point attempts (8-of-16), while Milwaukee connected on just 26 percent (5-of-19).

"The difference in the game is we just didn't make the shots tonight, but the Heat did," Cassell said. "We had good looks at the basket but we just didn't hit the shots. It was just one of those nights."

Miami outrebounded Milwaukee, 42-33, including an 11-4 advantage on the offensive glass. The Heat converted those rebounds into a 16-8 edge in second-chance points.

"I've said this before: the only people that believe we're capable of getting through this, regardless of what the situation is or how it may look, are my teammates and coaching staff," Mourning said.