BOSTON, March 24 -- No strangers to the postseason party, coach Pat Riley and center Alonzo Mourning believe the Miami Heat is starting to gel and poised to make a run at the NBA playoffs. Alonzo Mourning scored 27 points Sunday night to lead four Miami players with at least 20 points, helping the Heat roll to a 111-95 defeat of the Boston Celtics and build a one-game lead over Charlotte for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Chris Gatling, Rex Chapman and Walt Williams all added 20 points for the Heat, who won their fourth straight game and eighth in their last nine contests. Miami snapped a five-game losing skid to the Celtics and won in Boston for the first time since March 13, 1994. The Heat is 11-4 since their roster underwent a facelift just prior to the NBA's trading deadline. 'I'm very pleased with the way we've been playing,' Mourning said. 'Collectively, everybody has been contributing, they know their roles and they're doing their jobs. When you have a team in which each individual knows each part, they're able to do their jobs and the help defense is there, everything else will gradually fall into place.' Mourning pulled down 16 rebounds and Tim Hardaway added 11 points, 13 assists and seven boards for Miami. 'We just have to go out and win,' Heat coach Pat Riley said. 'You just can't win games at home if you expect to make the playoffs.
If we can be competitive on the road, defend on the road and not turn the ball over we have a good chance. 'I think everything is breaking for us at the right time. We have a great opportunity now with Charlotte out (on the road) five games. We just have to take care of our own business.' David Wesley tallied 24 points and Eric Williams had 13 off the bench for Boston, which had won six of its last nine games overall and five of seven at home. Pervis Ellison chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds. 'I think tonight was just a combination of what they did defensively and we couldn't hit a shot,' Wesley said. 'They were definitely playing good basketball out there. We had some easy shots and wide-open looks. The shots were just not falling tonight.' Miami extended a 14-9 lead with a 10-1 run, which was capped by Gatling's jumper with 2:48 left in the first period. The Heat took a 32- 18 advantage into the second quarter, propelled by Walt Williams' 10 points, and managed a 60-52 halftime cushion. Miami began the third period on a 12-4 spree, which featured eight points from Mourning, including a layup that made it 72-56 with 8:57 remaining. The Heat held an 87-75 lead after three quarters and built their biggest margin at 99-81 on Mourning's jumper with 5:32 to play. Todd Day netted 12 points and Dee Brown had 11 for Boston, which shot 37 percent from the field (36-for-96) and committed 29 personal fouls. Alton Lister started at center and grabbed 10 rebounds in place of Eric Montross, who was placed on the injured list Sunday due to a severely sprained left ankle. 'We were running a lot of people at them, but you don't want to run that for 48 minutes, you just can't sustain it,' Celtics coach M.L. Carr said. 'It was very effective in the second quarter, but not so effective in the third. They're (Miami) a totally different ball club. They come at you in many different ways.'
