National Basketball Association
Miami 114, Washington 111
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 19, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
Officials: #18 Matt Boland, #13 Monty McCutchen, #50 Gediminas Petraitis
Attendance: 15848

WASHINGTON -- When the Miami Heat were led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, scoring was rarely an issue. Those future Hall of Famers are gone, but at least for one game, the team's point production compared to those glory days.

Goran Dragic scored 22 points, Hassan Whiteside had 18 points and 18 rebounds as the Heat's offense carried Miami past the Washington Wizards for a 114-111 victory Saturday night.

Miami (4-8) opened its four-game road trip by blowing past its previous season high of 108 points set twice earlier this campaign. The Heat entered 28th in scoring at 94.5 points per game, but had 91 after three quarters and shot 50.6 percent from the field en route to a second straight win after losing six in a row.

"We try to get to the paint and attack," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, "but teams have been really loading up on that, and so we're trying to develop some more trust, some more ball movement to make teams pay for that."

Bradley Beal and John Wall each scored a season-high 34 points for the Wizards (3-9). Washington shot a respectable 47.7 percent from the field, but were outrebounded 48-38 and labored guarding the perimeter.

"I think we came out with intensity," Wall said. "I just think our one-on-one defense was terrible."

Josh Richardson had 15 points with four 3-pointers for Miami. The Heat drained 13 of 27 from beyond the arc and led by as many as 17 points.

"They got wide open 3's," Wall said. "They had some guys that usually don't make shots that made shots because they were basically workout shots. There was nobody there to contest them."

Dragic scored 15 points and Miami shot 53.3 percent for a 60-59 halftime lead. Washington's defense remained lackluster in the third quarter as Dragic's penetration and Whiteside's interior prowess fueled a 16-6 run for a 91-78 lead.

Whiteside had half of Miami's 18 offensive rebounds.

"He's a monster," Dragic said of Miami's best big man.

"I try to affect the game in different ways," Whiteside said. "Set good screens, get offensive rebounds, knock down a 15-footer."

The Heat extended the margin to 17 with 5:18 remaining. Washington closed with a 20-6 run as Wall hit two 3-pointers in the final minute, but the deficit was too steep.

Washington defeated New York 119-112 on Thursday despite the Knicks scoring 47 points in the fourth quarter. Their defensive woes continued.

Miami's starting lineup made 32 of 61 shots from the field. Dion Waiters scored 16 points and Derrick Williams had 12.

"We're getting beat off the dribble, (allowing) offensive rebounds and we're not guarding the 3-point line," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "We have to get better at playing defense. That's the bottom line."

Despite the scoring surplus, Miami knows its main strength remains stopping opponents from putting up points.

"We're a good team, but we're not one of the teams that can just rely on offense," said James Johnson, who scored 17 points off the bench. "We're going to have good scoring nights, because we have a lot of scorers in this room, and our offensive system allows that. But we've got to lock in better defensively."

Marcin Gortat had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards.

Wizards starting power forward Markieff Morris did not return after spraining his right ankle in the second quarter. Morris said postgame that he expects to practice Sunday.

Heat reserve Willie Reed exited in the second quarter with a hyperextended right knee injury and did not return. F Justice Winslow missed his third straight game with a sore left wrist.

NOTES: Heat G Dion Waiters (groin) was considered a game-time decision, but started and played 29 minutes. ... Wizards C Ian Mahinmi will practice with the team Sunday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery Oct. 15, coach Scott Brooks said. Washington signed Mahinmi to a four-year, $64 million free-agent contract in July. ... Miami faces the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. ... Washington wraps up its three-game homestand Monday with the first of two meetings with Phoenix. F Markieff Morris spent his first 4 1/2 seasons with Phoenix before a fallout over his contract led to his trade to Washington in February.
Top Game Performances
 
Miami   Washington
Goran Dragic 22 Scoring Bradley Beal 34
Dion Waiters 8 Assists John Wall 8
Hassan Whiteside 18 Rebounds Marcin Gortat 16
Goran Dragic 6 Free Throws Made Bradley Beal 6
Luke Babbitt 1 Steals Otto Porter Jr. 4
Hassan Whiteside 3 Blocks Marcin Gortat 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Miami 114 50.6 13-27 15-26 21 47 7 6 17
Washington 111 47.2 11-27 16-22 22 40 2 9 12
Upcoming Games
  • Washington will play their next game at home against Phoenix. The Wizards have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .375 after a loss.
  • Miami will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Heat have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .333 after a loss.