Miami Too Hot To Handle

April 28, 1998 / 11:19 PM EDT / CBS/AP

In what has become the "Cutthroat Series," the Miami Heat are now wielding the knife.

The Heat overcame foul trouble, a hostile crowd and Alonzo Mourning's lack of offense to regain control of their first-round series, taking an early lead and holding on the rest of the way for a 91-85 victory Tuesday night and a 2-1 lead over the New York Knicks.

Miami even rubbed it in a little as Eric Murdock made a throat-slashing gesture late in the fourth quarter the same one that Chris Childs of New York made late in Game 2 after making a 3-pointer with 4:15 left that put the Heat ahead by nine.

"He did that?" teammate Tim Hardaway said. "Shoot, I wanted to do that. I'll do it Thursday."

"It was something that was stupid. I shouldn't have done it," Murdock said. "I got caught up in the emotions of the game, and it was something that just happened and I'm sorry it was caught on tape.

"I was upset with myself right when I did it. For one thing, there were four minutes left. It was a big shot, but it wasn't that big of a shot."

In fact, Murdock made an even bigger one with 35 seconds left, nailing a 3-pointer for a seven-point lead that all but settled things.

Voshon Lenard scored 28 points, all in the first three quarters, and Hardaway added 27.

Murdock scored 11 as Miami had only three double-figure scorers, yet still brought a quick momentum shift to a series that had seemed to turn the Knicks' way when they evened the series 1-1 Sunday in Miami.

Mourning, in foul trouble for the first three quarters, finished with seven points on 3-for-13 shooting after leading the Heat with 30 in Game 2.

He made a huge contribution on the defensive end, however, by blocking a pair of shots, forcing a traveling call and winning a jump ball on four consecutive possessions late in the game to kill the Knicks' chances to get close.

"We were getting opportunities," Terry Cummings said, "but the last five or six minutes we rushed everything instead of maintaining composure."

Allan Houston scored 27 for the Knicks, but he failed to register a point in the fourth quarter. Larry Johnson added 22 points.

New York committed 22 turnovers, leading to 23 Miami points.

The Knicks, trying to become the first seventh seed from the Eastern Conference ever to beat a No. 2 seed, will need to win at home Thursday and on the road Sunday to keep their season alive.

"It's gonna go five," said Cummings, who took issue with Murdock's throat slash gesture. "You never forget that kind of stuff. That kind of thing follows you around, especially in a playoff series."

Miami won for only the fourth time in 26 games at Madison Square Garden, where a vocal sellout crowd tried to urge thKnicks back.

But every time they got close, Miami had an answer.

It looked like the Knicks were finished after Chris Childs traveled with Mourning guarding him with 1:28 left, New York's fourth consecutive botched possession. But the Heat threw away the inbounds pass, and Chris Mills hit a 3-pointer to make it 87-83.

John Starks committed his sixth foul eighth seconds later, but Hardaway missed both foul shots. Mourning then tied up Johnson in the lane and won the jump ball, setting up Murdock's 3-pointer that made it 90-83.

Murdock slapped hands with coach Pat Riley on his way back downcourt, but the Knicks were still not done. Charlie Ward scored on a layup, and Houston then swiped an inbounds pass and had an open 3-pointer. He missed it badly, though, making him 0-for-6 in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks were finally done.

"I think the whole second half we made a lot of mistakes," Houston said. "We turned the ball over, didn't execute well at all. That's what playoff basketball is. Things were coming to me in the first half, in the second half, just like everyone else, I rushed and didn't take my time."

It was all Lenard and Houston in the early going. Lenard scored 14 points in the first quarter as Mourning sat out with foul trouble, while the Knicks ran nearly every play for Houston. He shot 6-for-7 for 18 points.

P.J. Brown also drew three fouls, but the Heat weren't hurt offensively. Hardaway scored 11 points in the second quarter and were shooting 68 percent at the half as they took a 56-44 lead into the locker room.

New York started to mount a comeback early in the third after Brown quickly picked up his fourth foul. A 3-pointer by Houston pulled the Knicks to 60-55, but Hardaway was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to up the lead to eight.

Lenard hit Miami's final two shots of the quarter, taking the air out of New York's attempts to pull closer than four.

Notes: Mills was replaced in the Knicks' starting lineup by Chris Dudley, who started for the first time since breaking his foot two months ago. Dudley had one point and three fouls in five minutes. ... Jamal Mashburn replaced Dan Majerle (groin strain) in Miami's starting lineup, scoring nine points on 4-for-5 shooting. Majerle was in uniform, but did not play. ... Cummings sprained a toe in the first half, but returned. ... Marty Conlon played a season-high 28 minutes because of Miami's foul trouble.