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Heat look to warm up vs. Grizzlies

Mar 23, 2009 - 2:46 AM By Dan Pieringer Stats Writer

Memphis (17-52) at Miami (37-32), 7:30 p.m. EDT

MIAMI (AP) -- The Miami Heat avoided a winless road trip thanks to some clutch defense from Dwyane Wade and a late offensive surge from Udonis Haslem.

To follow that dramatic victory with a win in their homecoming, they'll need to find a way to beat the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wade and the Heat look to snap a three-game losing streak against the Grizzlies as the teams meet Monday night in Miami.

After winning all three games on their last homestand, the Heat (37-32) dropped the first three of their just-completed road trip. They looked to be in danger of returning home with a fourth straight loss Sunday, trailing Detroit by five with less than five minutes remaining.

But Wade blocked two shots in the final 22 seconds, and Haslem scored six points in the last 6.3 as Miami rallied for a 101-96 victory.

"They were pounding us for three quarters and a half, but we finally got some key plays down the stretch," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Dwyane was sensational -- that's what he's been all year -- and Udonis was great."

Wade's defensive prowess in the closing minute overshadowed his offensive resurgence. The league's leading scorer with 30.0 points per game scored 39 while going 13-for-23 from the field against the Pistons.

Wade had been held to 22.5 points and 40.5 percent shooting in two games during Miami's three-game skid. He missed an overtime loss at Boston with a strained right hip flexor.

Spoelstra hopes his team doesn't need a big night from Wade or late heroics to beat the Grizzlies (17-52), losers of 16 of 18. But the Heat have dropped three straight in the series, their longest skid since the Memphis franchise started play in 1995-96.

Two of those losses came last season, when Wade was battling injuries and the Heat finished with the worst record in the league, seven games behind the third-worst Grizzlies.

Miami, though, also lost its first meeting with Memphis this season. Wade was held to 17 points and 5-for-16 shooting in the 102-86 road defeat Dec. 14. Haslem, who finished with 16 points against Detroit on Sunday, didn't play that night due to the death of his grandmother.

Five Memphis players scored at least 10 points in that game, including rookie guard O.J. Mayo, who had a game-high 28 with four 3-pointers.

Mayo, though, was held to 12 points and the Grizzlies shot just 39.3 percent in their 105-87 home loss to Boston on Saturday night. Memphis trailed by four at halftime before getting outscored 53-39 in the second half.

"We played them pretty good up until the third quarter," said Rudy Gay, who had 15 points and went 5-for-15 from the field. "We need to learn how to withstand their runs and come with our own."

The young Grizzlies, who have struggled on the road all season with a 5-28 record, are showing signs of fatigue as the season winds down.

"We have a young team that is not used to playing a lot," coach Lionel Hollins said. "Mike Conley hasn't played a lot of minutes in his short career. O.J. is a rookie, and Marc (Gasol) is a rookie, and it is indoctrination into the NBA. No boys allowed. It is about men, and they are learning and they are growing."