Miami Heat Fall Short Against Wizards As Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson Miss Game Winners
It was a disappointing night for Miami Heat fans at the Kaseya Center, as they were defeated by the No. 14-seeded Washington Wizards.
The game came down to the final buzzer, with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson and star Jimmy Butler seeing chances at the game-winning shot. Instead, Robinson and Butler's three-pointers were off the mark, resulting in the 110-108 loss.
The final minutes were packed with intensity as Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma grabbed an offensive rebound but missed a floater rather than being patient. Robinson missed consecutive shots from the arc before Caleb Martin brought the Heat within two with a put-back layup. Kuzma made another mistake on their next offensive possession, as he committed an offensive foul on guard Terry Rozier. The Heat were gifted a chance at victory, but with roughly 12 seconds remaining could not nail a shot.
Outside of his fourth-quarter errors, Kuzma had a solid outing with 32 points and nine rebounds on inefficient shooting. Meanwhile, Wizards guards Tyus Jones and Corey Kispert combined for 34 points and 22 assists on 13 of 24 shooting.
Butler shot 0 of 4 from the arc in a season filled with improvements in the area. However, he was able to contribute 23 points and four assists. Rozier's streak of progress continues on his new team, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Although the stat line shows mediocre playmaking, the former Charlotte Hornet was setting up his teammates for success consistently.
It's clear that the Heat are missing star Tyler Herro's aggressiveness on offense, despite his inconsistency. Injuries have derailed Herro's season once again, as the organization hopes for health in the postseason.
The Heat will return to action against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat.
He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @anthony.pasciolla.
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