Heat end Grizzlies' winning streak
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Guard Tyler Johnson scored a game-high 22 points off the bench Friday night as the Miami Heat defeated Memphis 90-81 at FedExForum to snap the Grizzlies' six-game winning streak.
Johnson, who matched his season high for points, also grabbed five rebounds and had two steals and a block.
The Heat led by as many as 17 points in the second half; Memphis never had a lead in the game and in the fourth quarter drew no closer than eight points after a put-back dunk by forward Troy Williams (9 points, 6 rebounds) at the 5:31 mark cut the lead to 78-70.
Memphis (10-6) started a makeshift lineup, electing to bring point guard Mike Conley (team-high 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) off the bench in an effort to hold down his minutes (22 on Friday). Center Marc Gasol (9 points, 5 blocks and 2 assists) started and played 27 minutes. Both had played 45 minutes in Wednesday's double-overtime victory at Philadelphia. Power forward Zach Randolph, the main scorer for the bench unit, was not with the team due to a death in the family.
The Grizzlies committed 18 turnovers that the Heat converted into 23 points. Miami (5-10) played without point guard Goran Dragic (elbow). Center Hassan Whiteside finished with just four points but had 12 rebounds and two blocks to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one block to 44.
Guard Dion Waiters gave Miami 15 points, four assists and three steals. Forward James Johnson scored 13 points with six rebounds off the bench.
Miami made 33 of 85 from the field for 38.8 percent and hit 12 of 31 from 3-point range for 38.7 percent. The Grizzlies made 29 of 82 shots for 35.4 percent and were 4 of 19 from distance for 21.1 percent. Memphis forward JaMychal Green finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
The Heat led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but settled for a 45-39 advantage at the break. Tyler Johnson led all scorers with 15 points.
NOTES: Friday's game was the first of a home-and-home set and pitted first-year Grizzlies coach David Fizdale against his old boss, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. ... Miami PG Goran Dragic, second on the team in scoring (15.3 points) and first in assists (5.6), did not play Friday due to a sore elbow. ... Grizzlies PG Mike Conley entered Friday's game with the best 3-point shooting mark in the NBA -- 48.7 percent (37 of 76). ... Heat C Hassan Whiteside owns the longest active streak of consecutive games with a block (43) and is averaging a team-best 17.9 points and NBA-leading 15.4 rebounds. "He's just a stat-sheet stuffer," Fizdale said. ... Memphis F James Ennis was out with a calf injury, F Chandler Parsons was out with a sore left knee, and PF Zach Randolph was not with the team following the death of his mother.