Miami Heat (41-37) beat Washington Wizards (17-60) 152-136 at home on Saturday, April 4 in a shootout, with the two teams combining for 288 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Heat had the better start, winning the first 36-32 to lead by 4 after one. The Heat kept the pressure on with a 41-25 second quarter, carrying a 20-point lead into halftime.
The Heat won the third 45-34 to create some separation, taking a 31-point lead into the fourth. The Wizards took the fourth 45-30; the Heat held on for a 152-136 regulation win.
What decided it
The Heat got more from their shots, finishing at 67.2% effective field-goal shooting compared with 55.2% for the Wizards. The Heat made 29 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 17.9 for the Wizards. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Wizards did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 8.3 against 12.5. The Heat made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 110 possessions per team, the Heat produced 137.9 points per 100 possessions to 123.3 for the Wizards.
Who made the difference
Will Riley was the game's biggest individual force for WAS: 31 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 5 stl on 12-17 shooting. His Game Score of 30 led everyone. His team was -3 with him on the floor.
Kel'el Ware led the Heat with 24 pts, 19 reb, 2 ast, 7 blk on 10-15 shooting, good for a 28.5 Game Score.
Kel'el Ware (24 pts, 19 reb, 2 ast) and Justin Champagnie (12 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Heat about a 89% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Miami Heat lead 5-1.
The Heat are now 41-37, and the Wizards are 17-60. The Heat last five before this game: W-L-L-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.