Eddie Jones hit key shots at the end of each overtime as the Heat outlasted the Houston Rockets, 120-117.
Jones drained a 3-pointer with 55 seconds left in the second overtime to give Miami a 118-117 lead. Vladimir Stepania added a tip-in with 20 seconds left as the Heat improved to 7-2 in overtime this season.
Jones, who also sank a 17-footer to force a tie with 29 seconds left in the first overtime, finished with 26 points. Rod Strickland added 20 and 13 assists and Alonzo Mourning chipped in with 19 and 10 rebounds.
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Rockets-Heat: 56k | 300k Stepania in the Crunch: 56k | 300k Eddie House was one of four Miami players to score 19 or more points. Victor Baldizon NBAE/Getty Images |
Houston won a jump ball on its offensive end with six seconds left, but Moochie Norris' off-balance 3-pointer missed failed to even hit the backboard.
"It was a jump ball, so it is hard to get something off that," Houston guard Steve Francis said. "We wanted to go with what we had. Moochie got the ball, but unfortunately we were not able to get the result that we wanted."
The Heat trailed by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter before taking a 96-90 lead with a 13-0 burst with three minutes left.
Francis scored 35 points and Cuttino Mobley dropped in 30 for the Rockets, who suffered their fourth straight loss.
"We were not exploiting their defense," said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "We talked about it, but it just didn't click until the second half. We just had to get it out of the double team. They double team every pick-and-roll."
Miami trailed, 100-98, until House's jumper with eight seconds left sent the game into overtime.
House finished with 20 points for the Heat, who shot 53 percent (47-of-89) from the floor, including a 7-of-13 showing from 3-point range.
"We found a way to get a win, we didn't quit even when they made a run, we stayed with it," House said.
Kenny Thomas scored 26 points and Dan Langhi added 11 for Houston, which fell to 4-7 in overtime this season.







