WASHINGTON (AP) Hassan Whiteside scored 30 points and James Johnson hit a layup with 11 seconds left to give the Miami Heat a 106-103 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Johnson beat Markieff Morris to the basket for the go-ahead basket, Kelly Oubre Jr. threw away the inbounds pass and Josh Richardson made two free throws to seal it as the Heat moved into a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls, who lost to the Brooklyn Nets earlier, own the tiebreaker.
The Wizards had no answer inside for Whiteside, who was 12 of 19 from the floor and grabbed 12 rebounds. His 30 points were two short of a career high.
After missing his first four shots, Goran Dragic finished with 18 points, and Tyler Johnson scored 19 with four 3-pointers.
Morris led Washington with 21 points. John Wall shot 5 of 18 for 16 points.
Johnson scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds as the Heat punished the Wizards inside with 50 points in the paint.
Even after Oubre’s turnover and Richardson’s free throws, the Wizards had a chance to tie it, but Bradley Beal couldn’t get a clean shot off in the final seconds. The loss dropped Washington a full game back of the Toronto Raptors for third in the East.
TIP-INS
Heat: Whiteside registered his 56th double-double of the season and 119th of his career, two shy of Dwyane Wade for fourth in team history. … Luke Babbitt missed his third consecutive game with a strained right hip flexor and Dion Waiters his 11th in a row with a sprained left ankle.
Wizards: Center Ian Mahinmi had 11 points and nine rebounds, coming up just short of his first double-double of the season. … Broadcasting his final home regular-season game, former Bullets star Phil Chenier got a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 20,356 and several players when shown on the video boards.
PORTER OUT
Wizards swingman Otto Porter’s 120-game ironman streak ended because of back spasms that cropped up Thursday at New York. Coach Scott Brooks said Porter’s back tightened up against the Knicks and that trainers wanted to play it safe.
”They said it’s nothing too concerning, but we just want to sit him out tonight and try to calm it down,” Brooks said.
UP NEXT
Heat: Continue their playoff push Monday at home against the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wizards: Visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday, needing to win their final two games to record the franchise’s 50-win season since 1978-79.
