Heat take care of business vs Wizards as they head into a crucial week

Boosted by a 20-point first-half outburst from Terry Rozier, the Miami Heat took a 66-59 lead into halftime and never looked back as they defeated the Washington Wizards 119-107 Sunday at the Capital One Arena.

The last time these two teams met, the Miami Heat were stunned by the Wizards at home after Jimmy Butler missed a potential game-winning three. Miami came out sluggish and were down eight in the second quarter, but Terry Rozier made sure the Heat didn't find themselves in a big hole and flipped the momentum heading into halftime.

Two straight wins could give the Miami Heat the momentum they need to move up in the East standings.

From that moment forward, Miami began to enforce itself and left Washington in its rearview mirror. Nikola Jovic's deep three-pointer helped Miami balloon its lead to 15 points in the third.

And in the fourth quarter, with great defensive plays highlighted by a Haywood Highsmith rejection on Jordan Poole along with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo executing offensively, the Heat closed the curtains on the Wizards and handled their business.

With this victory, the Heat now hold an impressive 22-16 record on the road, ranking second in the East in total road wins behind the Boston Celtics (26). But looking ahead to a critical week, the next three games for the Heat will be at home against the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers followed by a road game against the red-hot Houston Rockets.

It's no secret that Miami has had their ups and downs at home. But heading into Monday with two straight victories, it's key for the Heat to use this momentum and have a strong week to get further away from play-in territory.

The Heat are currently one game behind the Indiana Pacers for the sixth seed, and it would be ideal for Miami to continue to win and position themselves to surpass the Pacers if they defeat Indiana on Sunday. With the regular season coming to an end in about two weeks It's time for Miami to embrace the challenge ahead of them and finish the year strong.

"This is a great time of the season," Terry Rozier said. "This is what you want if you're a competitor. It doesn't get better than this."