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Miami Heat Narrowly Outscored at FedExForum by Memphis Grizzlies

The Miami Heat, with an 11-13 record, faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies who held a 15-9 record in a closely contested match at the FedExForum. The final score read 101-93 in favor of the home team.


MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 25:  Jaime Jaquez Jr. #11 of the Miami Heat handles the ball during the game  on December 25, 2023 at Kaseya Center Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Miami Heat started strong, leading the first quarter with 32 points over the Grizzlies' 27. However, momentum shifted as the game progressed. Despite their efforts and leading for almost eighteen minutes of playtime, they couldn't maintain their initial dominance. The Heat's field goal percentage was a modest 39 percent from an attempted total of seventy-nine shots. From beyond the arc, they managed to hit fourteen out of forty attempts, translating to a three-point shooting percentage of thirty-five percent.


Miami's free throw performance was more efficient with seventeen makes out of twenty-two attempts giving them a seventy-seven percent completion rate. In terms of rebounds, they secured fifty-three in total which included nine offensive rebounds contributing to second-chance points; however, these only amounted to five points due to low conversion rates from such opportunities.


Defensively speaking, Miami managed seven steals and three blocks but also turned over the ball seventeen times which led to fifteen points for Memphis off turnovers. The bench contributed eleven points but it wasn't enough against Memphis' twenty-four bench points.


On the other side of the court, The Memphis Grizzlies capitalized on their home advantage and showcased effective scoring inside with sixty-four paint points compared to Miami's twenty-four paint points. Their two-point field goal percentage stood at an impressive fifty-nine percent as they made thirty-four out of fifty-eight attempts within this range.


Memphis also excelled in fast break situations scoring twenty fast break points with an efficiency rate close to sixty-seven percent from twelve attempts while limiting Miami's fast break opportunities despite The Heat having an eighty-eight percent success rate when executing them.


Moreover, turnovers played a significant role; although committing fewer than Miami (twelve), Memphis scored seventeen off those mistakes by their opponents. Their defensive efforts were highlighted by ten steals and five blocks while maintaining higher efficiency both offensively and defensively compared to The Heat.


As fans look ahead after this tough loss on foreign territory for Miami Heat players and supporters alike - attention turns toward their next challenge: hosting Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center on December 6th at 7:30 PM Eastern Time where fans can tune into BSSUN or BSDETX depending on location for live coverage.

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