The Wizards couldn’t hold on to a lead late in the game, falling to the Miami Heat once again, this time by 3 points.
With the game tied, 103-103, it was a shooting foul by the rookie, Jordan Goodwin, that allowed Miami to take a one-point lead with Caleb Martin going 1-for-2 from the charity stripe. A Beal layup later, Goodwin commits another foul, this time with the Wizards up by one. Heat center, Bam Adebayo, drains both free throws and then a layup one minute later, sealing the game for Miami.
The good news for Washington was that Bradley Beal returned to the lineup after missing the previous game. Beal didn’t skip a beat in his return, scoring 28 points, 14 of which came in the third quarter, and shot nearly 60% on his triples.
Washington, though, struggled offensively, shooting 43% from the field. Only two starters, Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma shot 50% or better. Kuzma was also the only other Wizard player to score more than 20 points, tallying 28 points on the night.
Kristaps Porzingis once again could not find a rhythm, shooting sub-40% from the field and accumulating only 18 points. Porzingis was also dominant defensively with Adebayo scoring 38 points and bringing in 12 rebounds for Miami. The Heat would total 62 points in the paint throughout the entirety of the game.
Another player who was able to succeed was Caleb Martin, who had 24 points in the game on Wednesday. Martin was able to pile up 20 points, shooting over 60% from the field and 50% from deep.
Miami was still without Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with a knee injury and is projected to be missing from the lineup until at least Wednesday, when they play the Celtics, according to ESPN.
The Wiz were able to snatch the ball away from the Heat 7 times, as well as, blocking 9 shots. Both were more than what Miami was able to accumulate, however, not enough to pick up a win on the night.
Washington is now 10-9 and sitting 7th in the East. The Wiz will travel to Boston to face the 15-4 Celtics on Sunday. Tip-off is at 6 pm EST.
The post Washington Can’t Hold Their Lead Late, Losing Once Again to Miami appeared first on Marylandsportsblog.com.