In the wake of April's playoff embarrassment against Charlotte and a 2-4 start this season, Heat coach Pat Riley defiantly defended his record Sunday.

Asked by a Sacramento reporter whether it's tough to take a couple of steps back this season, Riley said, ``I don't take a step back. Unless somebody has built something, they don't have any clue what it takes to build. All I've ever done is build. I've never gotten credit for building, but I built in Los Angeles. Somebody else can get credit for it, but I built the system and the team, not maybe the personnel, but the attitude and characteristics of how we . . . play, the motive, all those things.

``I built the same thing in New York, and I'm doing it here . . . for the second time. When you're trying to build something, you don't give a damn what anybody thinks. . . . They're just trying to criticize. A leader builds in spite of what critics say. I'm a builder, and I will continue to build. I don't care what anybody says. I will not be deterred.''

Riley said execution -- not effort -- is to blame for the shoddy start, including Saturday's 90-75 loss to Sacramento: ``How we're playing concerns me more than the record. [No one] played well [Saturday] except Anthony Carter. He has been the one stable. Our big men aren't scoring.''

The Heat spent three hours Sunday working on halfcourt offense. ``We need repetition,'' Riley said. ``The attitude is great. They want to do it right.''