Heat Warms To First Title

The Miami Heat waited nine years and 15 minutes for their first division championship.

Miami beat Detroit 93-83 Thursday, then clinched the Atlantic Division title a short time later when the second-place New York Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls.

Several thousand fans watched the final minutes of the Knicks game on large TV screens at Miami Arena.

“I didn’t hear one Knick fan in here tonight,” Heat owner Micky Arison said. “It was great.”

The title assures Miami of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs behind the Bulls. The Heat will have the homecourt advantage through the first two rounds, and they won’t face the Bulls before the conference finals.

But there was no champagne celebration in the Heat locker room.

“Maybe the guys will go out tonight and have a glass with dinner,” center Alonzo Mourning said. “But we realize we still have a long way to go. We don’t want to stumble into the playoffs.”

Coach Pat Riley scheduled practice Friday morning at 10:30.

Elsewhere on the courts

Michael Jordan scored 20 of his 34 points in the final 7-1/2 minutes and Luc Longley made two free throws with 5.4 seconds left after rebounding a rare Jordan miss as Chicago defeated New York 105-103 in Chicago.

Longley’s two free throws gave Chicago its first lead since early in the third quarter.

The Orlando Magic held Toronto to its lowest point total in club history and tightened their grip on the seventh playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 105-69 victory over the Raptors.

The Magic, looking like a team desperate to avoid a first-round playoff match-up with the Chicago Bulls, currently lead the Washington Bullets and Cleveland Cavaliers by 3-1/2 games.

Rookie Stephon Marbury had 29 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Clippers 108-96 to clinch the club’s first playoff berth in its eight-year history.

Charles Barkley, making his first home appearance in six weeks after suffering a hip injury, had 21 points and 12 rebounds as Houston beat Vancouver 102-94 in Houston.

Mavs sign King

The Dallas Mavericks signed forward Stacy King to a 10-day contract.

King, who is in his eighth NBA season, signed a 10-day contract earlier this season with the Boston Celtics. He averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in four games with Boston.