MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 2 (Ticker) -- Antoine Walker appeared to mesh just fine with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.

Walker collected 25 points and 16 rebounds with his new team as the Miami Heat posted a 97-78 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the season opener for both squads.

NBA TV highlights from Heat-Grizzlies: Play

"Obviously, Antoine was fabulous," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "His offense, obviously, was very, very good, but 16 rebounds? Thirteen defensive rebounds? That's exactly what we needed."

Rising star Wade added 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and O'Neal chipped in 12 points for the Heat, who came within three minutes of the NBA Finals last season.

"Right now we are right where we need to be," O'Neal said. "On this team, we have a lot of different guys who can step up, night in and night out."

Miami president Pat Riley received some criticism for tinkering with team chemistry by acquiring Walker, Jason Williams and Gary Payton in the offseason, but the initial results were positive.

"That's the one thing that's good about this team. If somebody doesn't have it going, we can obviously go to somebody else," Walker said. "Tonight was a night where I stepped up a little bit offensively, but more importantly we had to get control of the glass. We were getting killed on the glass in the first half and I felt a few of them were my mistakes."

The game was tied, 57-57, before O'Neal sank a hook with 2:22 left in the third quarter, triggering a 27-7 run. Wade capped the burst by stealing the ball near the Miami arc, dribbling downcourt, badly faking new Memphis guard Damon Stoudamire and throwing down an emphatic dunk, opening an 84-64 advantage with seven minutes to play.

"I thought in the second half we played much better basketball," Van Gundy said. "In the first half we were forcing the issue. In the second half, we moved the ball well and got good shots. I thought that was the difference."

Pau Gasol paced the Grizzlies with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but scored just seven points after the break, including just one in the fourth quarter after bumping knees with O'Neal late in the third.

The Grizzlies were limited to just 34 percent shooting (29-of-85). The Heat connected on 47 percent (37-of-78).

"Don't get me wrong, it's not that we didn't want to win. It's just that we didn't go about it in the most intelligent fashion," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "We took ourselves out of the game (in the second half).

"Miami defended better than we did. It came down to the small things - screening well, passing well and good shot selection. We had to fight to get a shot and they just don't give you one."

Eddie Jones, acquired in an NBA-record five-team trade from the Heat in the offseason, added 15 points and Stoudamire 10 for Memphis, which had won three in a row at home over Miami.

"They showed everything tonight," Jones said of his former team. "Of course they gave a big dose of Shaq, Dwyane and Walker. I thought we did a good job even though those guys had great games. Walker had a great game. He was shooting really well."