Miami Showmen: Can’t Beat The Heat

After Glen Rice swished ‘em, teammate Harold Miner slammed ‘em.

On the NBA’s annual day of hype and music known as All-Star Saturday, Miami players swept the skills competition. Rice beat Reggie Miller in the long-distance shootout, then Miner won his second slam dunk championship after missing last season’s contest with an injury.

The Heat may be one of the league’s worst teams, but Miner and Rice showed their entertainment value. Rice warmed up with his first 3-point title, then Miner provided thrills with his power dunks.

The rookie game showed off the league’s new talent and the shootout was close, but the crowd at America West Arena didn’t really get going until Miner started doing his thing.

The best of his muscular dunks was one in which he approached the basket from the left side, spun 180 degrees, lowered the ball to his knees and slammed it backward through the basket.

His second move was a flying lefthanded jam, and he completed his routine with a 360-degree spin and slam.

With rap music as the background, Miner’s acrobatics made this one a no-contest. Last year’s winner, Minnesota’s Isaiah Rider, missed two of his four attempts in the finals while Miner hit three of four. All were spectacular.

“I tried to throw them down hard - that’s what I try to do on all my dunks,” said the 6-foot-5 Miner. “Judges like to see power from someone my size.”

Miner scored 49.2 of a possible 50 points in the first round and had 46 points in the final against Rider and Utah Jazz rookie Jamie Watson.

No one was happier for his teammate than Rice, who sat with Miner during the dunks, cheering.

“He was saying there was a Heat wave in here,” Miner said.

In winning the shootout in his second appearance in the contest, Rice beat the flashy favorite.

Rice, who has made 43.9 percent of his 3-pointers this season, was the last of four qualifiers after the first round. He scored 14 points, while Charlotte’s Scott Burrell had 19, Miller 17 and San Antonio’s Chuck Person 15.

None of the shooters in the 3-point contest took full advantage of the new 22-foot distance. Rice outscored Miller 17-16 in the final round, matching the third-lowest final-round total in the event’s 10-year history.

“I kept hearing people picking Reggie and Chuck - that helped me get motivated,” Rice said. “I was definitely confident. I honestly and truly believed that if I got in the rhythm, I’d walk away the winner.”

Mark Price, who won the event the last two All-Star Weekends, missed this year’s shootout because of a broken wrist. He scored 24 points in the finals a year ago.

Both Miller and Rice scored 19 points in the semifinals.

Rice won a coin toss before the finals and decided to shoot first. Miller would have preferred that spot.

“I felt like I was in a rhythm,” said Miller, who also lost in the 1990 finals to Chicago’s Craig Hodges. “But I couldn’t get the red, white and blue balls (worth two points) to fall. I hit the others pretty well.”

The rookies had their turn in the spotlight, too, and went to overtime in the league’s second rookie game.

Eddie Jones of the Los Angeles Lakers was the MVP, even though his Green team lost 83-79.

Milwaukee’s Glenn Robinson hit a layup 16 seconds into an extra period to put the White team ahead 81-79. Overtime was decided by the first team to score three points, and Robinson passed to Lamond Murray for a layup which won it.

Robinson had 21 points in the victory, and Murray, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

A 16-year-old kid who missed a $1 million 3-point shot nearly stole the show from the pros. Mike Hoban, selected in a drawing to attempt the get-rich-quick shot, hoisted up an air ball despite practicing all week with Suns All-Star Dan Majerle.