Howard Can’t Beat Heat

Around the NBA

Even with Juwan Howard playing for the other side, the Miami Heat beat the Washington Bullets - barely.

Alonzo Mourning scored 32 points Monday night and the Heat withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally by Washington to win 98-95.

Howard, booed throughout the game because he spurned the Heat last summer, scored 23 points and helped the Bullets rally from an 82-60 deficit with 9-1/2 minutes left. But they failed to catch Miami, with Chris Webber and Tracy Murray missing 3-point attempts in the final 10 seconds.

“We stayed strong,” Howard said. “Even though we lost, it feels like a win.”

Howard was booed every time he touched the ball, but the jeers failed to rattle him: He made his first six shots. The crowd temporarily lost its zeal, and Howard’s first miss drew only a feeble cheer.

“I wish they had kept booing,” Webber said. “He probably would have scored more.”

Ceballos sharp

Cedric Ceballos’ first game in two months was everything he and the Phoenix Suns could have hoped.

Ceballos, who hadn’t played since Nov. 13, scored a season-high 26 points in his return to the Phoenix lineup as the Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-98.

Ceballos, who began his NBA career in Phoenix and was traded back to the Suns last week by the Los Angeles Lakers, sat out 28 games this season with a knee tear before being traded.

In other games

The Utah Jazz made just one field goal in overtime but ended an eight-game road losing streak with a 97-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers… . Tony Smith made a 10-foot jumper with 1:29 left in overtime for his only points of the game and the only basket in overtime as Denver beat Charlotte 102-100.

Hendrickson activated

Philadelphia placed center-forward Scott Williams on the injured reserve list and activated forward Mark Hendrickson, who played last season at Washington State.