clarinews@clarinet.com (01/16/90)
LANDOVER, Md. (UPI) -- Rookie Glen Rice scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and matched his season-high with 27 points, helping the Miami Heat wipe out a 9-point final-period deficit and down the Washington Bullets, 111-105, Monday night, ending a 13-game losing streak. Miami also won for the first time in seven road games. Washington has lost 11 of its past 13 games. The Heat won for the first time in five meetings with the Bullets. Trailing 91-82 with 10:19 to play, the Heat ran off 11 straight points, culminating in Rony Seikaly's short jumper, to take its first lead of the game, 93-91. A Rice jumper upped the lead to 97-93, but Mark Alarie's jumper drew Wachington into a 101-101 tie with 2:55 left. Rice's long jumper and a Seikaly free throw gave Miami a 104-101 lead. Jeff Malone, who finished with 27 points, sank two free throws for Washington to cut the lead to 104-103 with 1:35 left, then Rice dunked and hit one of two free throws with 1:00 left for a 107-103 lead. Bernard King (30 points) hit one of two free throws and Seikaly also hit one of two free throws to put the Heat up 108-104 with 34 seconds left. Steve Colter hit one of two free throws for Washington, but Grant Long delivered two free throws for a 110-105 lead with 24 seconds left. Rice, the first-round choice out of Michigan, scored 27 points for the fourth time this season, including in the Heat's last outing, against Boston Saturday. Seikaly added 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Kevin Edwards had 19 points. Washington took a 9-0 lead in the opening 1:52 of the game, with King scoring 7, but the Heat chipped away at the lead throughout the half, with the Bullets leading 56-49 at halftime. Miami rallied within 69-67 in the third period on a jumper by Rory Sparrow that ended a 12-2 run, but the Bullets responded with an 11-4 run capped by a 3-point play by King for an 84-75 lead. Washington led 87-80 after three quarters.