OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- After struggling with the top teams in the Western Conference, the Miami Heat look to bounce back against one of the worst Wednesday when they face the Golden State Warriors.

The Heat have emerged as the best squad in the East, where they have a four-game edge over the Cleveland Cavaliers for the conference's best record.

However, they have yet to win in four meetings with the top three teams in the West - the San Antonio Spurs, Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns.

After opening its five-game West Coast road trip with a win against the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami has lost two in a row to Seattle and Phoenix.

Shaquille O'Neal scored 34 points and Dwyane Wade added 23, but the Heat were unable to overcome a 40-25 deficit after the first quarter Tuesday in a 122-107 loss to the Suns.

Golden State does not figure to provide as much of a challenge. The Warriors have lost six consecutive games and own the second-worst record in the West.

All of those losses have come without leading scorer Jason Richardson, who sprained his left ankle in practice December 31.

Without Richardson, the Warriors have struggled to find any consistency on the offensive end, where they have scored over 90 points just once during their skid.

Speedy Claxton scored a season-high 24 points Monday, but Golden State shot just 33 percent (25-of-76) in a 94-85 loss to the Chicago Bulls.