Now that the Heat has won two straight, both on the road, the next priority is regaining a home-court edge that mysteriously disappeared this season.

There's no better time to start than tonight against Pacific Division doormat Golden State (7:30, AmericanAirlines Arena).

Over the previous two seasons, the Heat was 62-20 at home, tied with Indiana for second-best in the Eastern Conference -- a game behind New York.

But, this season, the Heat has dipped to 3-12 at home, including four straight losses. The team with the next-fewest victories at home is the Hornets (5-9 at Charlotte Colisuem).

``That has been the biggest disappointment and biggest surprise to me,'' coach Pat Riley said after Friday's 89-66 victory at Boston. ``[If we had played] just .500 at home, we would be in decent shape. We've been just horrendous at home. I don't have an answer for that. We've tried everything, and teams just come in there and carve us up. If we played as hard as we did [Friday] at home, we wouldn't have that problem.''

Players are mystified.

``I can't believe we're 3-12 at home,'' guard Eddie Jones said. ``The fans have been patient and supportive, even though we've been really terrible in front of them. I think the crowds have been better than last year. I still feel an edge at home. On the road, you're a lot more intense because people don't think you can win on the road.''

Said forward Brian Grant: ``Sometimes you call it a home-court disadvantage. At home, you have to deal with everything going on at home -- off-court things.''

Added point guard Rod Strickland: ``It's important to get the fans back to thinking when they come to the arena, they will have a win.''

Resurgent play by Alonzo Mourning, Jones and Grant are the biggest factors in this modest two-game winning streak. But there's more to it. The Heat, third-worst in the NBA on the boards, outrebounded the Pacers by 12 and the Celtics by 17.

``One of the reasons we've won a couple of games in a row is we've learned each other,'' Jones said. ``We're making the extra passes because we know where guys are going to be.''

Strickland, in particular, has developed better on-court chemistry with teammates. ``I'm getting a lot more comfortable,'' he said. ``I'm getting better as the season goes on.''

The Heat's perimeter defense also has improved. The Heat held Indiana's Reggie Miller to 13 points in Monday's win, and Boston's Paul Pierce to 20 (on 5-of-19 shooting) in Friday's victory.

``We're making guys take tough shots instead of putting guys in the penalty and going to the foul line all the time,'' Jones said.

Several Celtics said they would not be shocked if the Heat makes the playoffs. Miami (7-23) entered Saturday seven games out of the final playoff seed and would have to go 34-18 the rest of the way to finish 41-41, which might not be good enough.

``I hope people don't look at their record and consider them a bad team, because they would be dead wrong,'' Pierce said. ``I bet by the All-Star break, they'll be back in the thick of the race.''

Said Celtics point guard Kenny Anderson: ``I could see them getting into playoff contention. It's a good team, very disciplined.''

``They're definitely going to cause havoc in the East,'' Boston guard Erick Strickland said. ``They will be able to smash a couple people.''

Mourning compared the Heat to the struggling but highly paid Portland Trail Blazers: ``It's just like with Portland. They had all that talent and couldn't develop a certain level of chemistry. We have great players on this team. It was just a matter of time until things started clicking. Fifty-two games is a whole lot of time to make a lot of noise.''


Riley said Mourning's battle against kidney disease provides another reason the coach will not quit during the season: ``Every time I watch him out there playing, do you think I could step down? There's no way.''