Miami Heat (37-29) beat Washington Wizards (16-48) 150-129 at home on Tuesday, March 10. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Heat struck first, taking the opening quarter 40-29 and a 11-point lead after one. The Heat kept the pressure on with a 36-33 second quarter, carrying a 14-point lead into halftime.
The Heat won the third 37-35 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Heat took the fourth 37-32; the Heat finished the job for a 150-129 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Heat made 52.2 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 24.7 for the Wizards. The Heat grabbed 32.6% of their own misses, while the Wizards recovered 10.8%. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
At roughly 119 possessions per team, the Heat produced 126.2 points per 100 possessions to 108.5 for the Wizards.
The Wizards' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 62-43.
Who stood out
Bam Adebayo was the game's biggest individual force for MIA: 83 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast on 20-43 shooting. His Game Score of 60.5 led everyone. His team was +20 with him on the floor.
Alexandre Sarr led the Wizards with 28 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast on 12-19 shooting, good for a 22 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Heat about a 92% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Miami Heat lead 4-1.
The Heat are now 37-29, and the Wizards are 16-48. The Heat last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.