Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro powered the Miami Heat to a commanding 120-94 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night, extending their winning streak to five games.
Adebayo finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Herro added 27 points as Miami (34-41) continued its push for a better seed in the Eastern Conference play-in race.
Miami controlled the game from the start, using a 15-0 first-quarter run to build an early cushion. The Heat dominated inside, outscoring Washington 68-30 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 62-39.
Pelle Larsson and Terry Rozier each contributed 15 points for Miami, which had six players score in double figures.
Jordan Poole was the lone bright spot for the Wizards (16-59), exploding for 35 points in just 29 minutes. Poole knocked down seven three-pointers, breaking Bradley Beal’s single-season franchise record for made threes with his 228th of the season. Tristan Vukcevic added 14 points off the bench, but Washington struggled to keep pace.
Miami played without Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson due to injuries, while Kevin Love missed the game for personal reasons. Davion Mitchell was a late scratch because of a stomach illness.
Despite the absences, the Heat never let up, shooting 50.5% from the field and limiting the Wizards to 39.5%. Miami’s defense forced 18 Washington turnovers and held the Wizards to just 19 fourth-quarter points.
Adebayo was dominant on both ends, controlling the paint and facilitating Miami’s offense with five assists. Herro was equally effective, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line and adding five rebounds and five assists.
The Heat outscored the Wizards 34-28 in the third quarter and 28-19 in the fourth, sealing another dominant performance as they continue their resurgence late in the season.
With the win, the Heat strengthened their grip on the ninth seed in the East, keeping pressure on the teams above them in the play-in race.
Washington, meanwhile, continues to limp toward the finish line of a difficult season.
