Takeaways From The Miami Heat’s Loss To The Washington Wizards

The Miami Heat fell to 1-5 on the road this season after losing to the Washington Wizards in overtime 107-106 Friday.

Here are some major takeaways from the game:

-With Jimmy Butler out due to a right knee injury, forward Haywood Highsmith got his first start of the season and second of his career. He had a poor shooting night. He played in only six games this season and a total of 29 minutes. However, he recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

-Nikola Jovic is continuing to show he deserves to be looked at as a reliable backup. With Bam Adebayo still out with a knee injury, Jovic scored 18 points while grabbing six rebounds. He is also showing he can vibe well with the other starters on the court. There were a few instances where he came off a pick-and-roll with Kyle Lowry, driving to the basket for an easy bucket. If the Heat still need a power forward, they can always look towards Jovic and try to get him to play the role.

-Rookie center Orlando Robinson got his first look at some playing time this season and he didn’t waste it. He had 14 points, seven rebounds, and one block.

-After a slow start to the season, Lowry is playing the way viewers are accustomed to seeing. This game was no different. He had a season-high 24 points and a season-high 15 assists. He also recorded ten rebounds, giving him his first triple-double of the season.

-Obviously, the ending didn’t go well for the Heat in this one. Max Strus, who are assigned to guard Kyle Kuzma, left Kuzma wide open in the left corner. It ultimately resulted in a 3-pointer which sent the game into overtime. It was the same spot where he hit a 3-pointer in the second quarter. Strus had the chance to redeem himself at the end of overtime but just missed a 3-point shot attempt.

-A huge event took place off the court. Caron Butler, who is the Heat’s assistant coach, reunited with Wizards legends Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas. All three of them were honored at halftime for their time with the franchise.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog https://allball30.wordpress.com