Miami ? Counterfeit basketball at NBA prices.
Try selling this for another four months.
Again offering its low-scoring, deficit-building brand of basketball, the Heat slumbered through a 91-86 loss Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies to continue a season best put to sleep.
``It's just not working,'' coach Pat Riley said. ``It's not working, that's all there is to it -- stumbling around, fumbling around. It's just not working. I think we've known that for a couple of weeks; we just hoped it would get there somewhere.''
Against a team with a similar record but far greater prospects, the Heat lost for the 11th time in its past 12 games at AmericanAirlines Arena. At 5-22 and yet to reach 100 points this season, the Heat set a franchise record for consecutive games below 100 and is two double-digit efforts from matching the NBA record.
``To lose 11 of 12 at home is even more disturbing than whether the team is connected or not,'' Riley said. ``That I would have never expected.''
With guard Eddie Jones and forward Brian Grant battling shooting woes and foul trouble, the Heat fell behind by as many as 15 points in an effort as foul as, well, its foul shooting.
No, the 6-of-15 performance from the line did not do in the Heat, but its lack of attempts certainly did not help. Memphis was 22 of 31 from the line, playing at a level above the rim the ground-bound Heat could not cleanly contest.
``I've been trying to jolt them for 27 games in some way, shape or form,'' Riley said. ``They want to do it. I don't have a bunch of jerks in that locker room.
``The next step is easy; I just don't want to get to the next step. Maybe it isn't that easy.''
To add insult to a season potentially on the verge of implosion, Memphis was paced by Grant Long, the forward who had seen the Heat through some of its previous worst of times. The veteran of the Heat's inaugural season went for 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
``You can't be good all the time,'' Long said. ``At some point, you are going to have to rebuild. It's just the law of averages catching up with them.''
With first-round pick Shane Battier going for 13 of his 15 points in the third period, the Grizzlies pushed to a 63-48 lead.
And so it goes, center Alonzo Mourning offering the best he can with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, but Grant and Jones unable to offer any support. Grant was 1 of 8 from the field, Jones 4 of 16.
``I guess some changes have got to take place,'' Grant said.
Riley shuffled what he could, but the deck continues to be stacked against any consistency. This time, Eddie House was used as the first point guard off the bench, in place of Kendall Gill, who was dreadful in that role Thursday night in Atlanta. Starting point guard Rod Strickland was limited by a groin problem that required treatment after the game and leaves his status in doubt.
With a youthful core of Battier, forward Pau Gasol, and -- dare we say it -- former Heat guard Rodney Buford, the Grizzlies pushed the Heat closer to the point of no return. Point guard Jason Williams helped Memphis put it away, with 19 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.
As was the case against the Hawks, the Heat failed to take advantage of an ailing opponent. Memphis was without guard Michael Dickerson, forward Lorenzen Wright and center Bryant Reeves.