Even before Sean Marks arrived at his Miami home after Wednesday night's Heat victory over the Toronto Raptors, the news of his 17-minute performance had already reached across the world.

In his native Auckland, New Zealand, Marks' parents and friends placed long-distance phone calls, hoping to talk to Marks about his eight rebounds and four blocks while backing up starters Alonzo Mourning and Brian Grant in the season opener.

The NBA's first and only native Kiwi has been the talk of sports-talk shows in his native country, which have been seeking interviews with the 6-10, 250-pound forward-center and anyone willing to describe his play and impact on the Heat.

``It's big news in New Zealand, but I doubt it will take rugby off the front page. It will probably be just a blurb,'' said Marks, who hopes for a repeat performance tonight when the Heat faces the Cleveland Cavaliers at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Before Wednesday, Marks -- taken by the New York Knicks with the 44th pick in the 1998 draft but traded to the Toronto Raptors -- had played a total of 40 minutes over 13 regular-season games. The most minutes he had played in a game was six.