Miami turns up Heat on Grizzlies

Shaquille O’Neal added 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while Jason Williams netted 14 points in the win, the Heat’s sixth in eight outings.

Bobby Jackson led the slumping Grizzlies with 22 points. Shane Battier and Mike Miller each finished with 12 for Memphis, which fell for the fifth time in six games.

Memphis shot just 32 percent (11-of-34) in the second half and received an off night from former Miami guard Eddie Jones, who missed all seven of his field goal attempts and managed just two points in his first game at AmericanAirlines Arena since his offseason trade to the Grizzlies.

"Tonight was one of those nights where things didn’t go my way," said Jones. "I got great looks at the rim, I just couldn’t knock them down."

Leading 56-53 midway through the third quarter, the Heat slowly began to pull away behind Wade, who poured in 13 points during the period.

The All-Star guard hit a jump shot and then made two free throws to cap a 9-2 run which put Miami up 65-55 with under four minutes left in the quarter. Wade later scored five points during an 8-3 spurt to close out the stanza, which gave the Heat a comfortable 75-61 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes.

"The first half I was looking for my teammates more than my shot, and in the third quarter I just decided to be more aggressive offensively," said Wade.

Miami went ahead by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter and Memphis never got within single digits the rest of the way.

"I thought Shaquille rebounded the ball well," said Heat head coach Pat Riley, who was behind the bench for his 1,700th NBA game. "Dwyane is driving and attacking. But the second half really was all about the team play which was a lot better defensively."

The Grizzlies started the game with a 10-2 run, highlighted by a pair of Jackson three-pointers, but Miami scored 11 of the next 13 points and took an early 13-12 edge on Wade’s layup midway through the first quarter.

Williams, who recorded 11 points during the opening period, buried a triple and Wade followed with a short jumper to give the Heat their largest lead of the half, 25-19 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter.

Memphis responded with an 11-2 run to move back ahead. A three-point play from Jake Tsakalidis and Miller’s bucket from beyond the arc gave the Grizzlies a 30-27 advantage as the frame neared its conclusion.

The game remained tight over the remainder of the first half. Miami entered the break with a 48-47 lead after Udonis Haslem completed a three-point play with 25 seconds left.

Game Notes

Chucky Atkins, signed by Memphis as a free agent on Monday, had seven points in 20 minutes off the bench in his debut with the club...Miami outrebounded the Grizzlies by a 47-30 margin...The Grizzlies finished 1-3 on their four- game road trip...Haslem ended with eight points and 11 rebounds...The Heat swept the season series, having posted a 97-78 win in Memphis on November 2...The Grizzlies have lost three straight in Miami.