(Photo Credit: Joe Murphy)
The Miami HEAT lost 104-86 to the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday evening. The HEAT have a chance to bounce back tomorrow in Houston when they take on the Rockets. Here's a quick recap:
Impact Performance of the Night: Wayne Ellington. Ellington was on fire from downtown all night, shooting 7-for-11 from three. He finished with a career-high 25 points. Ellington was the jolt the Grizzlies needed off the bench.
The Deciding Run: At the 8:07 mark the HEAT forced a miss jumper from Jerryd Bayless. LeBron James secured the rebound, but turned it over when Rudy Gay got a hand on the pass. Zach Randolph scored and was fouled. Two possessions later Bayless blocked Ray Allen then found Wayne Ellington for a three. In the span of 40 seconds the HEAT went from down seven with possession to down 12. They were never able to recover.
Play of the Game: In the first quarter Mario Chalmers found James streaking on a fastbreak. Chalmers’ lob was perfect and James flushed it down, just missing hitting his head on the rim.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Rating: 91.6; Defensive Rating: 107.2
Trend to Watch: The HEAT defense struggled for the second time in three road games, surrendering 104 points to the Grizzlies. For the most part, the defense was OK, but the Grizzlies were able to find a number of open threes. Like after the game against the Knicks, the HEAT will self-correct, just as they’ve done over the last two seasons.
The Takeaway: This is a game to crumple up and throw in the trash. The HEAT missed 14 free throws and the Grizzlies hit 14 three-pointers. Both numbers figure to be outliers this season and both played a large part in the loss.
Notes: LeBron James finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Chris Bosh scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Terrel Harris and Dexter Pittman were inactive.
