The Memphis Grizzlies have been struggling lately, seeing the playoffs slip out from under them, but they received a gift on Friday, as Shaquille O'Neal was unavailable for the contest.  The Grizzlies took full advantage, defeating the Heat by a final score of 97-81.

``That was a huge win for us,'' Memphis coach Mike Fratello said. ``We recognize the fact they were missing the MVP of the league tonight, but our execution in the first half was terrific. We worked hard on the glass and we defended well.''

``Obviously Shaq is a big part of our team, but we still had enough left to get it done,'' Miami's Alonzo Mourning said. ``I think if we had put forth a little more effort and showed a sense or urgency at the beginning it would have been a totally different outcome.''

Mike Miller led the Grizzlies with 30 points.