The Miami Heat secured a hard-fought 119-107 victory over the Washington Wizards, with Terry Rozier III leading the charge with 27 points and Bam Adebayo contributing 22.
Jimmy Butler added 17 points for the Heat, who claimed their second consecutive win. Miami, currently seventh in the Eastern Conference, made 25 of 29 free throws, narrowing the gap to just half a game behind Indiana in the race to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Despite the absence of their leading scorer Kyle Kuzma due to a bruised right heel, the Wizards put up a fight. Jordan Poole scored 22 points, and Marvin Bagley III recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Gill matched his career high with 18 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Wizards suffered their third consecutive loss following a three-game winning streak.
Miami took control of the game with a 24-7 run that spanned halftime, hitting seven 3-pointers during that stretch. Rozier’s two 3-pointers just before halftime gave the Heat a 66-59 lead, their largest advantage up to that point.
Duncan Robinson added two more 3-pointers early in the third quarter, and with additional contributions from Rozier and Jovic, Miami extended their lead to 78-62.
In the final quarter, Butler’s five consecutive points, including a dunk and a three-point play, helped the Heat maintain control, restoring their lead to 112-97 after the Wizards briefly narrowed the deficit to 10 points.
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