MIAMI, Fla. -- The Miami Heat shook off a slow start Saturday night to put together a second-half rally, but it wasn't enough down the stretch in a 103-95 loss to the the Memphis Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Coming off their stirring win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas, the Heat started the game slowly on both ends of the floor -- with a layup by Norris Cole at the very end of the first quarter avoiding the lowest-scoring opening quarter for the team this season.
Memphis did a solid job of protecting their paint and was active clogging the lane any time Miami was close to the rim. Point guard Mike Conley led his team with 10 first-quarter points, including a pair of 3-pointers to boost their early lead to double digits.
Dwyane Wade struggled initially against the stingy defense by Tony Allen but came around to score 15 of the Heat's 25 points in the second quarter. It still wasn't enough to make much of a dent in the deficit despite a strong performance from Danny Granger, who had 12 points in 13 minutes through the first two quarters. Eight different Grizzlies players scored in the first half, and they shot 60 percent from the field off their crisp ball movement, which netted 15 assists on their 23 field goals.
The third quarter featured an extended Heat run that got them back in the game after a listless first half in which they were behind by as many as 16 points, but they could not break through and take the lead. Memphis got into the penalty bonus early in the final quarter and it helped slow down the game. Each time the Heat threatened to take the lead in the second half, the Grizzlies would respond with a clutch jumper or a smart defensive play.
Ultimately, the Grizzlies made just enough plays to hold off the Heat down the stretch to snap their four-game losing streak.
THE TURNING POINT
With a chance to cut the Grizzlies lead to single digits, Wade was whistled for a backcourt violation after losing the ball. In frustration over the call, Erik Spoelstra was whistled for a technical foul and Conley sank the free throw and then a 3-pointer to increase their lead to 15 at halftime.
THE DIFFERENCE MAKER
Marc Gasol was unstoppable in the paint with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Without Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies needed Gasol to establish a presence inside on both ends of the floor. His block on Mario Chalmers with 13 seconds left iced the victory.
STAT OF THE GAME
Despite closing the deficit to a single point six separate times in the second half, the Heat never held a lead.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Heat wrap up their homestand against the Orlando Magic on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
