Miami Cruises To Division Title

March 29, 1998 / 6:31 PM EST / CBS/AP

Dan Majerle wasn't feeling any pain Sunday and that made the Miami Heat feel good.

Majerle, who has battled a bad back for much of the past two seasons, scored a season-high 22 points in 38 minutes as Miami clinched its second straight Atlantic Division title with a 109-77 victory against the Houston Rockets.

"I was just aggressive at the beginning and taking the ball to the basket," said Majerle, who last scored 22 points In December 1996. "It's the best I've felt in a while. You always want to play your best basketball at the end of the season."

That is what Miami is doing, having won 23 of its last 27 games.

Tim Hardaway had 16 points and a season-high 15 assists and Alonzo Mourning outplayed Hakeem Olajuwon in a battle of two of the NBA's top centers, outscoring Olajuwon 16-15 and out rebounding him 15-4.

Miami turned a close game into a rout in the second half.

"We were just so much more efficient in the second half," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "I thought we made a good effort in the first half, we were just not making shots, but our defense stayed consistent and we were able to open something in the third quarter and pretty much take it from there."

The Rockets, who dropped their 13th consecutive regular-season game against Florida teams, were playing without injured Charles Barkley (shoulder) and Clyde Drexler (groin).

Mark Strickland, who has been starting in place of the injured P.J. Brown, added 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Heat, who won for the fifth time in a row and fourth in a row at home.

"It's a big thing for us because it was one of our goals," Majerle said of clinching the division. "We weren't happy with winning the Atlantic Division last year and we won't be happy with it this year. We want to go all the way."

The Heat broke open the game just after halftime, going on a 26-13 run to close the third quarter and take a 68-58 lead. Coming off a blowout loss in Orlando on Friday, the Rockets never challenged after that.

"We would work hard and get a basket, then Hardaway would push it down and get an easy basket," said Mario Elie who led Houston with 18 points before suffering a contusion on his left thumb late in the game. X-rays were negative.

Both teams came out strong offensively early, but it didn't last. Miami shot 55 percent in the first quarter, while Houston shot 47.8 percent. The two teams combined to make only 10 of 36 shots in the second quarter.

Miami shot 50.6 percent for the game, while Houston shot only 35 percent.

The Heat defensive muscle may have played a part in Houston's struggles. Miami had a season-high 13 blocks to only one for the Rockets.

With forwards Brown, Keith Asking and Jamal Mashburn ou with injuries, Riley has been forced to play Majerle more minutes than he'd like. But, so far, Majerle's back and game have looked healthy.

"Dan's playing great, he really is," Riley said. "It's always been touch and go with Dan, but he seems like he is a lot younger and he is feeling good with back. He gives us savvy and toughness and he is making his shots."

Notes: Heat coach Pat Riley improved to 8-0 against Houston since losing to the Rockets, 84-90, in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals when he was the Knicks coach. ... In three years since Riley took over in Miami, the Heat are 32-10 in March. ... Houston's last regular-season victory against a Florida team was Jan. 11, 1995 when the Rockets beat Miami 108-97. ... Marty Conlon, who had 11 points Friday against Milwaukee, entered with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter, his earliest appearance of the season. Conlon broke his nose in the fourth quarter on a flagrant foul by Kevin Willis and did not return. ... The Heat's average margin of victory in the last four games is 26 points.