The last time Brian Grant faced the Hornets in the postseason, Miami's quick, three-games-to-nothing dismissal from the playoffs seemed to linger forever.

''[It was] embarrassing, very embarrassing,'' said Grant, who suffered the sweep in his first season with the Heat. ``It was a pretty good season, but [then] it was helplessness. We were just out there feeling like we couldn't do anything to turn it around.''

Sunday, three years after the fact, that opportunity finally comes. The Heat will open its first postseason since 2000-01 against the physical Hornets at AmericanAirlines Arena, where the Heat has enjoyed a decisive home-court advantage of late. And Grant promises a better fight than the last time around.

''It won't go down like that this time,'' Grant said. ``But it will be a very difficult test to get out of the first round against this team.''