After having trouble on the road, the Miami Heat have predictably stepped up at home to help erase some bad karma.
The team has an astounding home record of 23-2 and a win tonight would match the best home winning streak in franchise history with 18 consecutive victories.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat look to extend their overall winning streak to three straight games as they host the visiting Memphis Grizzlies in Friday’s best game.
This is the first and only meeting between the two teams this season. The series was split last season at one game apiece. Miami (39-14) has not lost to a Western Conference team in seven tries at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
On the season, the Heat average 100.6 points — fourth best in the league — while allowing just 93.5 points against their opponents.
They are also third in the league in steals with 9.2, trailing only the Knicks and the Grizzlies who lead the league with 9.8.
James has been on fire during the homestand, averaging 37.5 points on 55.5% shooting, 6.5 rebounds, seven assists and 3.5 steals in his last two games.
He is third in the league in scoring with 26.9 points and outplayed the league leader in scoring and MVP rival Kevin Durant, who had 30 points but a season-high nine turnovers in the previous game.
Dwyane Wade looks to regroup after struggling with his shot in the last two games, shooting an anemic 37.1% on a combined 13-of-35. He will have his hands full going up against a premier defender in Tony Allen.
The Grizzlies (30-23) are in the midst of a seven-games-in-nine-days stretch and continue to be part of a wild Western Conference playoff chase that could lead them to home court advantage or miss the playoffs altogether.
They are tied with Dallas for the fifth seed, trail the fourth-seeded Clippers by two games, and are only 1 1/2 games ahead of the seventh- and eighth-seeded Rockets and Nuggets.
After winning five of its previous six games, Memphis ran out of gas playing for the third time in as many nights against Dallas and was defeated 95-85.
Rudy Gay leads the team with 18.3 points and a career-high 6.5 rebounds.
He ranks seventh in the league with 94 dunks and is only one of two players, along with LeBron, who has at least 90 dunks and 40 3-pointers.
A win tonight would add to the Grizzlies’ recent list of victories against division leaders, including the Thunder and the Lakers.