Anthony Carter's agent, Bill Duffy, says Carter wants a second opinion before deciding whether to have surgery on his strained lower abdomen, the same injury that kept him out of seven preseason games.

Coach Pat Riley said the doctor who would have given Carter a second opinion will be available no sooner than Jan. 3. If Carter elects to have the surgery, he will not be available until mid to late January. If he doesn't, he will be on the injured list for four more games.
PRACTICE MAKES . . .

On Christmas Eve, the day after a road game in Toronto, Riley held a practice for more than three hours at AmericanAirlines Arena. Riley focused on the post game.

``We talked a long time and practiced on two or three things a long time. A lot of repetition on how to keep trying to get Brian [Grant] and [Alonzo Mourning] and our post-up people room. How our perimeters can recognize second post-up opportunities and looks. That's what it's going to take, just tremendous repetition on one set over and over.

Riley was pleased with the players' efforts. ``They actually got it today, but they don't do it in a game, he added. ``In a game, they decide to step off the post, and then what we see is our big men isolating at 15 or 16 feet. That's not a post game. They actually give in to a tough defender. And what they have to do is be ahead of the play, and they have to step in strong and hold their spot. If they don't get it, they keep working to get in the paint.''

DOWN, BUT NOT OUT

Despite a 5-20 record, Riley is still keeping alive playoff hopes.

``The Eastern Conference is so bizarre. We have 57 games to go, and I will continue to believe that we can make the playoffs until we can't make it. We are only five games out,'' he said with a chuckle. ``Think about how sick that is. We have lost 20 games already, and we are only five games out of a playoff spot. I have hope alive. If there has ever been a silver lining in a season that has gone awry, this is one that we have a shot. If we ever get any kind of run here.''

Team morale is down, but it has not plummeted to the level of infighting, Riley said.

``There is not anybody that has outwardly shown their frustration toward anybody or anything. They are taking it as men, as a team,'' he said. ``I don't think there is anyone on this team that can blame anybody. We don't have a group of perimeter players that can blame the bigs, and the bigs can't blame the perimeters. Everybody can just blame the coach, if they want. I will take it. I picked them, and I coach them.''

A NEW ROUTINE

Riley has suggested to players that changing their routines might help them break their slump. Grant took that advice personally: He cut off several inches of his golden shoulder-length dreadlocks after he returned to Miami on Sunday night after the Heat's 83-76 loss to Toronto.

``As soon as I got home, I got the scissors out and hacked it,'' Grant said. ``This is something I had been wanting to do. And I did it.''

Grant is averaging 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks.

Last season, he averaged career highs in scoring (15.2 points) and rebounding (8.8).

Grant is ready to change on the court, too.

``Everybody has got to look at themselves, and I looked at myself,'' Grant said. ``I know that I haven't done the things that I had done last year. There are no reasons to make.''

TNT has dropped the Jan. 16 Heat-Lakers game and replaced it with Sacramento vs. Denver.