Field Level Media
03 Mar 2025, 16:52 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
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 (shooting) 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
Get a daily dose of Detroit Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Detroit Star.
More InformationSEOUL, South Korea: For the first time in nine years, South Korea recorded a rise in births, offering a rare positive sign in the country's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Nearly 87,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months ending September 2024, a 24 percent drop from the...
NORTH BERGEN, New Jersey: More than 45,000 U.S. dockworkers have approved a new six-year contract, securing higher wages and preventing...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A Missouri woman admitted to a scheme to cheat Elvis Presley's family out of millions and take control of Graceland,...
ANSEONG, South Korea: A tragic accident at a highway construction site in Anseong, South Korea, claimed the lives of at least four...
TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwanese authorities are probing a Chinese-crewed cargo ship suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Nearly 87,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months ending September 2024, a 24 percent drop from the...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Pentagon announced this week that it will cut 5,400 jobs as part of President Donald Trump's plan to shrink the...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A proposed 10 percent U.S. tariff on oil imports could deal a US$10 billion annual blow to foreign producers, particularly...
(Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) Playing the second leg of a back-to-back, the Miami Heat look to rebound from an overtime...
(Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images) The New York Rangers and Islanders are coming off impressive showings against one of the...
(Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images) Though he's been patient as his team goes through a rebuilding phase, Utah Jazz coach Will...