Grizzlies at Heat
The Miami Heat expect to have LeBron James back on the court as they attempt to break out of the doldrums when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. James missed Wednesday’s contest to the Boston Celtics due to back spasms and Miami suffered its sixth loss in the last nine games to fall three games behind the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference race. Memphis is playing well and has won 13 of its last 17 games.
The Grizzlies are in a virtual tie for seventh place with the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference playoff competition. Memphis has won six of its last seven games and is a solid 19-13 on the road as it enters its first meeting against the Heat this season. The missed contest in Boston marked the third time James has sat out this season. “Guys have to be smart about certain situations and understand that if they can go, then go,” James told reporters before sitting out the contest.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Memphis), Sun Sports (Miami)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (40-27): Post players Zach Randolph (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Marc Gasol (20 points, 10 rebounds) both had big outings in Wednesday’s victory over the Utah Jazz, and Memphis figures to rely on its interior advantage against the Heat. Randolph has posted 39 double-doubles this season but the 20-point outing against the Jazz was only the second he reached that total in his last 12 outings. Gasol has just six double-doubles during his injury interrupted season and he reached the 20-point mark for only the second time in 31 games since returning from a knee injury.
ABOUT THE HEAT (46-20): Forward Udonis Haslem went from forgotten man to the starting lineup and had 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the loss to the Celtics. The starting assignment was Haslem’s first since Nov. 7 and marked the first time he received double digits in minutes since Jan. 20. “You worry about what you can control,” Haslem told reporters. “What I can control is when I step on the floor, how do I play my minutes? It’s to play with energy and play with emotion and be intense and defend and rebound and just do all the little things.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Memphis has won three of the past five meetings.
2. Grizzlies F Mike Miller, who spent the last three seasons with Miami, has made 83 3-pointers.
3. Heat F Shane Battier is 4-of-22 from 3-point range over the last nine games.