Struggling Heat need to regain past form vs. Wizards
BASKETBALL-NBA-MIA-WAS/PREVIEW
Playing the second leg of a back-to-back, the Miami Heat look to rebound from an overtime loss when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Miami squandered a 19-point lead on Sunday, managing only 43 points in the second half and seven points in overtime of its 116-112 setback versus New York. The loss dropped the Heat to 3-7 over the last 10 games, as they continued to slide behind Detroit in contention for the Eastern Conference's last guaranteed playoff spot.
Miami sits five games behind the Pistons for sixth place with only 23 dates left in the Heat's regular-season docket.
Versatile wing Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is averaging 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while also serving as one of Miami's top defenders, missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury. His timetable for return is uncertain.
Recent addition Andrew Wiggins also missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury. Since joining the Heat last month in a multiple-part trade that sent five-time All-NBA wing Jimmy Butler to Golden State, Wiggins is averaging 17.8 points per game.
"He loves the competitive feel of these last couple games," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Sunday about Wiggins wanting to be in the lineup despite the injury. "But we have to be smart about it. He's been very diligent with his work and we'll get him back soon."
Washington, meanwhile, is a winner in two of its last three after losing the previous six straight games. On Saturday, the Wizards won the first in a stretch playing 9-of-10 on the road with a 113-100 defeat of Charlotte.
Eight Wizards scored in double figures, led by Bilal Coulibaly and recently acquired Khris Middleton with 17 points apiece. Middleton's performance was his highest-scoring showing since being traded to Washington in a deal that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee last month.
"He's been doing this for a very long time," Washington coach Brian Keefe said of the three-time All-Star Middleton. "He's just getting his legs with us and learning some of the places he's going to get to his spots. That's what this guy does; he's a professional."
Although Middleton is averaging only 12.4 points per game in 27 games played between his tenures in Milwaukee and Washington this season, missing significant time due to injury, he is a career 16.7 point-per-game producer.
The Wizards need all the offense they can muster, ranking near the bottom of the NBA with 108.4 points scored per game. Jordan Poole, Washington's leading scorer for the season at 21 points per game, had performances of 26 and 24 points before missing Saturday's affair with an elbow injury.
Coulibaly has provided an uptick in scoring over the last three games, including 20 points in the Feb. 24 win over Brooklyn. The second-year wingman has scored more than his 12.6-point per game season average in each of the past three outings.
The Washington offense faces a tall task generating points against Miami's stifling defense. Despite the Heat's recent struggles, their 110.9-point per game yield ranks seventh in the NBA.
Field Level Media
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