Can the Miami Heat make it five in a row? It would be quite the turnaround to follow up a 10-game losing streak with the team’s longest win streak of the season, but that’s exactly what is at stake when the Heat face the bottom-dwelling Washington Wizards on Monday night.
This will complete a relatively soft portion of the schedule before the Heat travel to Boston to take on the Celtics on Wednesday night. But that’s later. Right now, the Heat have a game to play, and they’ll have to do it without a key starter.
Here’s what to know for Monday night’s tilt.
How to watch Heat at Wizards
Time: 7 pm ET
Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington D.C.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Stream: NBA League Pass, Fubo
Notable injuries
Update: Davion Mitchell is a late scratch after coming down with an illness.
The Heat will be without Andrew Wiggins, who didn’t travel with the team on this trip due to hamstring tendinopathy. Coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t offer a specific timeline when asked about Wiggins’ status but said he is progressing. So, not much of an update.
They’ll also be without Duncan Robinson for the fourth straight game. His lower back injury designation has been changed to the more specific “left sacroiliac joint dysfunction.”
Kevin Love will also miss the game for personal reasons.
The Wizards have shut down several vets during the stretch run and will be without Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon. Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert and Kyshawn George are also out.
Quick scout
The Wizards stink. They have the league’s worst offense, third-worst defense and are last in net rating. They enter the game having lost eight of their last nine. The goal here isn’t winning. They have their eyes set on the NBA draft lottery.
Key matchups
Alex Sarr vs Kel’el Ware: Sarr, the second overall pick in June’s draft, has come on strong after a slow start to the season. So has Ware. Both 7-footers will face off in a battle of can-we-really-be-the-next-unicorns. Sarr is more of a threat from deep than Ware. He’s hoisting five 3-point attempts per game and making them at a 32% clip.
Jordan Poole vs Tyler Herro: The Heat don’t want this to turn into a shootout, but Poole does. Poole has been better than expected this season but Herro should still make a bigger impact on this game. Miami just doesn’t want to see Poole make this game stressful with a big scoring night.
Betting
The Heat are 8.5-point favorites on the road.