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The Miami Heat will visit the Capital One Arena to lock horns against the Washington Wizards in a clash between two Eastern Conference teams. This will be the final match-up between the two teams in the regular season. Miami have won two of their three meetings this season.
The Heat are coming off an impressive 104-86 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. They were defensively strong, allowing the Hornets only eight points in the third quarter. Jimmy Butler led the team with 27 points on 76.9% shooting.
The Wizards, meanwhile, lost their last game against league leaders Phoenix Suns. The Wizards’ starters scored only 37 points, and had no answer for Deandre Ayton inside the paint as the team slumped to their 28th loss of the season.
The Miami Heat (34-20) are first in the Eastern Conference, and are on to a two-game winning streak. They are currently on a six-game road trip, playing their fifth game in this stretch against the Wizards.
The Heat will look to capitalize on Bradley Beal’s absence. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards (24-28) are 11th in the East, trying to secure their spot in the play-in tournament.
Miami Heat Injury Report
The Miami Heat will play without Victor Oladipo and KZ Okpala, who have suffered injuries to their right knee and wrist respectively.
Markieff Morris has been out for a while, and is expected to miss this game as well. He is yet to return to match fitness. Meanwhile, Max Strus is listed as questionable, nursing a contusion on his right quadriceps.
Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and Tyler Herro are listed as questionable. Elsewhere, Butler is dealing with irritation on his left big toe. Martin has soreness in his left Achilles, while Herro is dealing with right knee soreness.
Washington Wizards Injury Report
Bradley Beal has missed the last three games, and is listed out for this fixture against the Heat. He is out because of an injury to his left wrist, and is yet to be re-evaluated.
Meanwhile, Daniel Gafford is listed as out after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols. All other players are available for Wes Unseld Jr.’s rotation.
Miami Heat vs Washington Wizards: Predicted Lineups
Miami Heat
Kyle Lowry could be the starting point guard, with Duncan Robinson alongside him as shooting guard. Jimmy Butler, despite being listed as questionable, is likely to start in the small forward position, with PJ Tucker as the power forward.
The center position should be filled by the skilful Bam Adebayo, who is averaging a double double with 18.2 points and 10.1 rebounds.
Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent have provided valuable minutes off the bench for the Heat. However, with Herro and Martin being listed as questionable, Dwayne Dedmon and Omer Yurtseven could see an uptick in their minutes.
Washington Wizards
Aaron Holiday and Spencer Dinwiddie have assumed backcourt duties in the absence of Bradley Beal. They could be the starting pair against the Heat.
Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will likely fill the forward positions, looking to shoot better this time around. Meanwhile, Thomas Bryant is expected to be the starting center.
Montrezl Harrell and Rui Hachimura could be crucial for the Wizards, bringing in much-needed energy off the bench. Raul Neto, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert could also be relied on for useful contributions from the second unit.
Miami Heat vs Washington Wizards: Predicted Lineups
Miami Heat
Point Guard – Kyle Lowry | Shooting Guard – Duncan Robinson | Small Forward – Jimmy Butler | Power Forward – PJ Tucker | Center – Bam Adebayo.
Washington Wizards
Point Guard – Spence Dinwiddie | Shooting Guard – Aaron Holiday | Small Forward – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Power Forward – Kyle Kuzma | Center – Thomas Bryant.
