Grizzlies beat Heat 104-86 for 5th straight win

[November 12, 2012]  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Reserve Wayne Ellington had career bests with seven 3-pointers and 25 points, leading the Memphis Grizzlies over the Miami Heat 104-86 on Sunday for their fifth straight win.

The Grizzlies snapped Miami's four-game winning streak while extending their own franchise-record home winning streak to 14 dating to last season.

Rudy Gay added 21 points and Zach Randolph had his sixth double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis. Mike Conley had 18 points and nine assists, while Marc Gasol added 10 rebounds and six assists.

Chris Bosh scored 22 points and LeBron James had 20 for Miami. Dwyane Wade came in averaging 20.4 points but was held to eight in his first game back after missing Friday night's win at Atlanta with a cold.

Memphis never trailed and the Heat managed to tie it only twice, the last at 14-all.

The Grizzlies had the biggest edge in this game beyond the arc, where they went 14 of 24 (58.3 percent), and at one point were outdoing the Heat did at the free throw line. Miami came in as the league's second-best team at the line, averaging 82.9 percent, but finished 22 of 36 (61.1 percent).

The Grizzlies led 22-21 after the first quarter then Ellington scored 16 in the second to help Memphis outscore Miami 34-20 in the period. When Miami pulled to 42-40, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins took a timeout with 2:36 left. The Grizzlies responded with a 14-1 run for a 56-41 halftime lead.

Miami had a 25-20 edge in the third quarter but never got closer than when Bosh hit a pull-up jumper with 6:45 left to pull the Heat to 63-58.

The Grizzlies had their chances to wilt against Miami in the fourth. Jerryd Bayless threw up a ball that never came close to the rim -- if it was even a shot attempt -- but Gay got a hand on it and tipped it to Randolph, who scored and converted on the three-point play for an 85-75 lead with 8:07 left.

Ray Allen tried to get the Heat going, running down court for a dunk only to be blocked by Bayless. Ellington capped the fast break going the other way with his sixth 3-pointer for an 88-76 lead with 7:20 left, bringing fans to their feet.

There was a time when the Heat came to town with enough fans in the stands to make the visit to Memphis feel almost like a home away from home. Not anymore as even Shane Battier, beloved for his time in Memphis, was booed during introductions with fans cheering as his first 3-point attempt went in and out.

NOTES: This marked the seventh time in the Heat's Big Three era that they have allowed at least 14 3s in a game, and they now are 1-6 in those contests. ... It was the most 3s by the Grizzlies in the last 345 games, including playoffs. ... The Heat went 1 of 7 at the line in the first quarter, the NBA's worst free-throw shooting in that period since Golden State was 1 of 9 against Utah on Nov. 4, 2006, with a minimum of seven attempts. ... Ellington's previous career high had been 18 twice, last on Feb. 16, 2011 against the Clippers. ... The Grizzlies now are 4-0 when scoring at least 100 points this season.

[Associated Press; By TERESA M. WALKER]

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