The Miami HEAT defeated the Washington Wizards 114-111 Saturday night at Verizon Center. Goran Dragic led the way for the HEAT with 22 points.
1. Dragic Paces Miami
From the beginning, Dragic looked to push the pace and attack the rim at nearly every avenue. As a result, he shot 6-of-8 from the charity stripe and kept the pressure on Washington. That said, Dragic also knocked down a few shots from the perimeter, both off the dribble and off catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Naturally, one of Dragic’s best finishes came on the break. With 3:53 to play in the third quarter, Josh Richardson came up with the loose ball in a scrum of players and hit it ahead to the Slovenian. From there, the point guard raced down court, hit Tomas Satoransky with a spin move and then got him again in the post before finishing the play in transition.
In addition to his 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, Dragic also had six assists and three boards.
2. Whiteside Keeps It Up
After a slow start to the contest, Whiteside picked up his production at the end of the second quarter. From that point on, the big fella dominated the offensive glass as usual and fought hard down-low against Marcin Gortat. On the flip side of the ball, Whiteside altered a bunch of shots at the rim and came away with three blocks on the night.
In all, the 7-footer scored 18 points, grabbed 18 rebounds (nine offensive) and dished out an assist to go along those blocks.
3. Richardson Lights Up the Scoreboard
Remember how Richardson was pretty much automatic from deep throughout the second half of last season? Well, the 23-year-old has now strung together a couple of games that look a lot like that. On Saturday, Richardson went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and got into a nice rhythm after halftime. The versatile guard finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Other Takeaways:
-James Johnson went crazy in the second quarter and scored nine points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, including this great offensive rebound and follow. Those kinds of hustle plays have become synonymous with Johnson, and it made a difference once again. As a whole against the Wizards, the forward continued to beat his man off the dribble and move well off the ball for some nifty finishes at the rim. On the defensive end, he guarded Otto Porter Jr. well down the stretch.
In total, Johnson scored 17 points, grabbed three rebounds and blocked two shots in 27 minutes off the bench.
-Dion Waiters played a patient game and took what the defense gave him. He led the team with eight assists on the evening and also scored 16 points.
-Throughout the contest, Derrick Williams showed his pure stroke and knocked down a bunch of outside shots. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and five rebounds.
Game Notes:
-Willie Reed exited the game in the second quarter with a hyperextended right knee and did not return.
-Justise Winslow (left wrist) and Wayne Ellington (right thigh contusion) sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will continue their road trip into Philadelphia to face the 76ers on Monday at 7:00 PM.
