Earlier in the season, this would not have been the ideal equation: a game on the line, a swarming defense and the ball in Brian Grant's hands.

But on this night, that's exactly the way Heat coach Pat Riley wanted it. And when the scenario played out against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night with 1:18 left in overtime, Grant delivered.

''The biggest play of the game is when we needed to tie it, I went to [Grant] on a jumper,'' Riley said. ``He nailed it and tied the score. He's working hard, and he's playing as well as he has all year.''

Grant a go-to scorer? Making that statement might have seemed insane earlier, but Grant has gathered himself, rebuilt his confidence and is producing results. He hopes for more of the same at Minnesota today.

Friday night, his 21-point, 13-rebound effort jump-started the Heat and was his latest in a series of encouraging all-around outings. He has four double-doubles in his past six games, easily his best stretch of the season.

Several factors -- a foot injury, foul trouble and Miami's perimeter ineptitude among them -- contributed to Grant's early struggles. The trade talk didn't help, either.

''Come on, I was the No. 1 candidate [to be traded] because of my performance and what I wasn't bringing to the team,'' Grant said Saturday. ``I know it's a business. Sometimes it's hard not to think about that. But a few days ago, I decided I was just going to forget it and enjoy every minute that I'm here. I got tired of having to talk to my wife about it and using all my time worrying about getting traded. I'm with the Heat, and I hope to be with the Heat for the rest of my career.''

His solution was simple, yet effective: let time take its course. And in the meantime, Grant went about the business of playing basketball.

Freeing his head from the constant trade talk gave Grant a chance to immerse his mind in basketball, something that proved crucial for a player who is in many ways more mental than physical.

''I'm proud of him. He was getting down on himself for missing shots and getting frustrated,'' forward LaPhonso Ellis said. ``He expects so much. And when you demand a lot from yourself and you're not getting the productivity that you think you ought to get, sometimes it can create a downward spiral mentally.''

Grant's problems intensified with his injury, which affected his timing after he returned.

Soon, his confidence began wavering.

''We had other guys putting up numbers, and I wasn't -- and we were losing,'' Grant said. 'Earlier in the season, I was hesitant. I would say, `Let me just pass this thing to somebody else.' ''

At one point, even Riley was down on Grant. ''I got frustrated,'' he said. ``In the beginning of the year, it was tough.''

Soon, Riley's biggest problem might be getting the ball away from Grant.

''I'm just going to take the shot,'' Grant said. ``I'm not hesitating. Just pulling the trigger.

``When I don't hesitate and just go with the things that are open for me, good things happen.''