Heat at Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are fresh off their top defensive performance of the season as they prepare to host the Miami Heat on Friday. Memphis allowed its fewest points of the season while notching a 92-83 win over Portland on Wednesday and held the Trail Blazers to 36.6 percent shooting from the field.
Miami has lost its last two games and established a season low for points when it was ambushed 111-84 by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. "They jumped on us from an effort and energy standpoint," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters of his club's 40-15 deficit after one quarter. "We were bobbling passes, traveling, missing catches, and then it became a domino going down the wrong way. We just couldn't get it back." The Grizzlies have now held six teams under 90 points as their grit and grind style has been flourishing. "We're not the type of team who comes out and gives you an uppercut and knocks you out in the first quarter," Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. "We understand that. But we feel like we can punch you enough in the gut, that by the time the fourth quarter comes, those legs might be a little weary."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Miami), FS Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE HEAT (11-16): Point guard Goran Dragic (knee) was held out against Utah but is expected to play against the Grizzlies and center Hassan Whiteside (birth of child) is also expected back after missing four games. Forward Justise Winslow struggled to just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting against the Jazz after averaging 23 points over the previous three games, including a career-best 28-point effort against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Guard Dwyane Wade tallied just six points in 19 minutes against Utah for his second single-digit outing in a four-game span.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (16-11): Point guard Mike Conley scored 23 points against Portland for his 14th 20-point effort of the campaign while playing on a tender left hamstring. "I don't want to full-on sprint out of nowhere, cause any further damage," Conley told reporters afterward. "So I've just been trying to play at a nice pace and save it for more half court. I'm not trying to get up and down and outrun you as much as I might want to." Center Marc Gasol had a season-best six blocked shots - Memphis had 10 as a team - but scored just nine points as he failed to reach double digits for the third time in the past five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Heat won last season's two meetings by an average of 25.5 points.
2. Memphis SF Kyle Anderson collected 12 rebounds against Portland for his fifth double-digit effort of the season.
3. Miami SG Josh Richardson is shooting just 30.3 percent from the field in his past eight games and shot below 40 percent in each contest.