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Grizzlies hold off late Heat charge

Apr 12, 2008 - 3:57 AM By Rick Menning PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- For the first time this season, a Miami Heat loss may have been more good than bad.

Hakim Warrick and Kyle Lowry each scored 17 points to send the Memphis Grizzlies to a 96-91 victory over the Heat on Friday.

With its loss Friday, Miami (14-65) clinched the worst record in the NBA this season, meaning the Heat will enter the draft lottery with the best chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick and will select no worse than fourth.

"I don't really have too many thoughts on that," said Heat guard Chris Quinn, who missed a 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining that would have tied it up. "I guess it is what it is. As a competitor, you never want to go down like that. We want to win."

Memphis, which once led by as many as 19 points, staved off a furious Miami comeback bid in the closing minutes as the Heat pulled to within 94-91 on a 3-pointer by Quinn with 1:52 remaining.

Both teams came up empty on their next possession, but Andre Brown tipped a missed shot by Rudy Gay with 59 seconds left to re-establish a five-point lead.

"I was pleased with the way we responded to their run," Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "Everything looked good and then we stabilized with the big shots at the end, some really big shots."

"Andre (Brown) was a great lift for us," Warrick said. "He showed a lot of determination to play the way he played tonight."

Despite three offensive rebounds over the final minute, Miami was unable to hit any of its final four shots.

"We just ran out of firepower at the end and didn't make two or three stops," Miami coach Pat Riley said. "We were just fighting from behind the whole game."

Gay added 14 to pace the Grizzlies, who have won two straight on the road after prevailing in only six of their first 37 contests away from home.

Warrick scored all 12 of his first-half points in the first quarter as the Grizzlies broke out to a 31-23 advantage after one.

Memphis took control from long range in the first half, hitting six 3-pointers to Miami's three in building a 58-43 advantage at intermission.

Miami struggled from the field, shooting only 37 percent (17-of-46) in the first half.

"You get a lot of wins when you hold a team down like that," Warrick said. "We did a pretty good job defensively on them."

The Grizzlies built a 19-point lead at 50-31 with just over six minutes left on a running jumper by Juan Carlos Navarro.

Earl Barron scored 22 points for the Heat, who have dropped 11 of their last 13 contests and 19 of their last 23.