The Washington Wizards capped off a difficult season with a dramatic 119-118 road win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, thanks to a game-winning shot at the buzzer by rookie Bub Carrington.
Carrington banked in the decisive bucket after a costly Miami turnover with five seconds left, sealing the Wizards’ 18th and final victory of the 2024-25 campaign.
Tristan Vukcevic led Washington with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Justin Champagnie added 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting, including five made threes.
Carrington, 19, contributed 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, becoming the first rookie in franchise history since Jeff Ruland (1981-82) to play all 82 games.
The loss dropped Miami to 37-45, though their position as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference was already set, locking them into a win-or-go-home Play-In matchup against Chicago on Wednesday.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded a career-high 41 points for the Heat along with 10 rebounds and seven assists in 40 minutes, while Keshad Johnson and Josh Christopher each chipped in 17.
With several regulars sidelined — including Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro — the Heat relied on their reserves throughout the night.
Washington outscored Miami 66-60 in the first half and held off a late push despite being outscored 32-25 in the fourth quarter.
The deciding play came when Christopher took an inbounds pass and crossed into the backcourt, resulting in a violation and turnover with Miami up one.
Following the turnover, Carrington hit the final shot off the glass as time expired, stunning the home crowd at Kaseya Center.
Colby Jones added 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Washington, which won just two of its final 10 games.
Despite the poor season record (18-64), Wizards coach Brian Keefe praised his young players for their growth and effort over the course of the year.
Carrington joined Luka Doncic as the only players in NBA history to notch at least 300 assists and 100 made threes before turning 20.
Washington shot 51.1% from the field and made 16 of 37 from three, while Miami finished at 50% shooting but just 31.3% from deep.
The Heat now turn their focus to the Bulls, while the Wizards enter the offseason with multiple young standouts showing promise.
