Miami Heat plays the second part of a back-to-back and looks to recover from an overtime loss when hosting Washington Wizards on Monday.
Miami meandered a 19-point lead on Sunday and handled only 43 points during the second half and seven points in overtime of its setback on 116-112 versus New York. The loss dropped the heat to 3-7 in the last ten matches, as they continued to slip behind Detroit in battle for the Eastern Conference most recently guaranteed the playoffs.
Miami sits five matches behind the pistons for sixth place with only 23 dates left in Heat’s regular season doll.
Versatile wing Jaime Jaquez Jr., who average 9.0 points, 4.6 returns and 2.6 assists per match while serving as one of Miami’s top defender, missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. His time plan for return is uncertain.
The latest extension Andrew Wiggins also missed Sunday’s game with an ankle damage. Since he joined the heat last month in a multi-part trade that sent five times the All-NBA wing Jimmy Butler to Golden State, Wiggins is an average of 17.8 points per match.
“He loves the feeling of competitiveness in these last couple games,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Sunday about Wiggins who wanted to be in the lineup despite the injury. “But we have to be smart with it. He has been very diligent with his work and we will get him back soon.”
Washington is meanwhile a winner in two of the last three after losing the last six straight matches. On Saturday, the sorcerers won the first in a distance to play 9-of-10 on the road with a defeat of 113-100 by Charlotte.
Eight wizards made in double numbers, led by Bilal Coulibaly and recently acquired Khris Middleton with 17 points per piece. Middleton’s performance was his highest scored since he was traded to Washington in a shop that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee last month.
“He has been doing this for a very long time,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said about it three times all-Star Middleton. “He only gets his legs with us and learns some of the places he will come to his (shooting) places. That’s what this guy does; he’s a professional.”
Although Middleton is only an average of 12.4 points per match in 27 matches played between his time in Milwaukee and Washington this season, there is a significant time due to injury, he is a career 16.7 points per game.
The magicians need all the crime they can collect, rank near the bottom of the NBA with 108.4 points per match. Jordan Poole, Washington’s leading goal scorer for the season of 21 points per match, had performances of 26 and 24 points before he lacked Saturday’s business with an elbow injury.
Coulibaly has given a top point during the last three matches, including 20 points in February 24 -victory over Brooklyn. Second year’s Wingman has received more than his 12.6-point by average in the match in each of the last three excursions.
The Washington crime is facing a high task that generates points against Miami’s suffocating defense. Despite HEAT’s latest fight, their 110.9 point is enough per exchange of games seventh in the NBA.
-Field level media
