The Miami HEAT host the Washington Wizards Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Get your tickets now! The HEAT defeated the Wizards 114-111 in their last meeting on November 19. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 7:00 PM. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.
1: Did the HEAT show any positive signs during their loss to Chicago that might suggest the end of their current losing streak?
Couper Moorhead: This team does not give in. We already knew that about this group, for the most part, which was why it was so unusual to see them in such a hole against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but at the end of four games in five nights the HEAT just kept coming at the Bulls. Guards attacked the glass and pushed as hard and often as they could in transition, they made life as difficult as possible for Chicago's offense and they generally, as we've seen so often this year, just didn't give up on any individual possession. To see that kind of fight from guys like Tyler Johnson, Willie Reed and Josh Richardson (back from injury) on a team currently 10 games below .500, is as good a sign as any. Teams that play that hard eventually find wins, especially with a six-game homestand getting started Monday night.
Joe Beguiristain: They did. While Goran Dragic continued to play at a high level and Hassan Whiteside responded after a tough outing in Cleveland, Josh Richardson looked like he never left the lineup. Despite missing the past six games with a sprained right ankle, Richardson moved very well on Saturday night. In fact, he played the entire fourth quarter and made things tough on Jimmy Butler throughout the contest. Earlier in the game, Richardson guarded Dwyane Wade on a few possessions in what was a fun matchup between the two former teammates.
On the flip side of the ball, the 23-year-old knocked down a few jumpers and converted some nice finishes inside. As a result of his solid all-around performance, Richardson was second on the team with a 5.3 net rating against the Bulls. Hopefully his strong play can carry over to this six-game homestand.
2: What did we learn from the first matchup with the Wizards?
Couper: That game, on November 19th, currently stands as a fascinating point of this season. It marked Miami's first two-game winning streak of the season and a veritable offensive explosion, with an offensive rating of 122.7 that night, at a time when Miami's offense was ranked among the bottom five in the league. Miami shot 50 percent that night and an incredible 48 percent from three, with two quarters scoring over 30, as they held on down the stretch over the Wizards, and since that game the offense has been much steadier despite all the injuries the team is dealing with.
The win in Washington also marks the exact point where we started to see some slippage in Miami's defense, which was firmly in the Top 5 at that point. Now, a few weeks later, Miami's defense sits at No. 14 in the league. Getting players like Justise Winslow and James Johnson back will help that number, but at the moment November 19 is something of a dividing line for this season.
Joe: We learned that John Wall and Bradley Beal can really fill it up, as each scored 34 points apiece in that last meeting on November 19. In particular, Wall caught fire from distance in the fourth as Washington mounted a comeback. That said, Miami stayed ahead and ultimately won a hard-fought game thanks to its balanced offense. Six HEAT players scored in double-figures, led by Dragic's 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
Since then, games like that have provided a formula for success offensively. When the team tallies 20 or more assists and receives contributions from multiple guys, everything runs smoother. Things start to become difficult when just Dragic and Whiteside can manufacture offense. We've seen how opposing teams will pack the paint to try and neutralize the HEAT's two main cogs. It's at that point when Miami's role players need to help shoulder the scoring load by either cutting to the basket or knocking down open shots on the perimeter. Despite the team's current losing streak, Dragic has done an excellent job of making the extra pass and guys like Tyler Johnson and Derrick Williams have delivered. As long as the HEAT continue to distribute the ball when the defense collapses, all should be fine. 3: At 6-4 in their last 10 games, how has Washington gotten their season back on track recently?
Couper: It hasn't been any one thing. Washington did get Ian Mahinmi back from injury, but it was just for one game and he hasn't played since. The usual suspects in John Wall and Bradley Beal are playing well, as you might expect but it's been Otto Porter over those ten games, shooting 58 percent from the field and 44 percent from three, who appears to be raising his game to another level. Washington still doesn't get a lot of scoring from its bench, but their starting lineup has been a plus-7.7 per 100 possessions in 361 minutes, so this game could be decided in the minutes deeper into the rotation.
Joe: While Wall and Beal have been on an absolute tear recently, Marcin Gortat has also played well over the Wizards' last ten games. During that time span, Gortat has averaged 10.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 52.7 percent shooting. While his scoring has slowed down a bit over the past three games, he still owns one of the best defensive ratings on the team. Whiteside and Gortat usually have a fun back-and-forth matchup, so perhaps we'll see that once again on Monday night.
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