Red Hot Heat Keep Winning Streak Alive, Crush Wizards Behind Adebayo and Herro

The Miami Heat stayed red-hot on Monday night, extending their season-best winning streak to five games with a dominant 120-94 road win over the Washington Wizards. While the result may have come against the NBA’s worst team, the performance underscored the Heat’s growing cohesion and grit as they attempt to climb the Eastern Conference standings ahead of the looming play-in tournament.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro once again served as the heartbeat of Miami’s effort. Adebayo set the tone early, pouring in 16 points in the opening quarter alone—matching his highest-scoring period of the season—before finishing with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in just 31 minutes. Herro, despite an off night from beyond the arc (0-for-6 from deep), found other ways to contribute, racking up 27 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals, including a strong second-half surge that helped put the game away.

Though Miami’s recent wins have leaned heavily on hot shooting from deep, this one was different. The Heat struggled from long range, hitting just 9 of 32 from three-point territory. But their relentless attack inside more than compensated, torching Washington for 68 points in the paint. It was a blueprint in versatility and adaptability—a reminder that this team can win ugly, too.

Pelle Larsson, the rookie second-round pick who continues to impress, added another all-around performance with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal in his second straight start. Terry Rozier contributed 15 points off the bench, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. showed signs of breaking out of a recent slump with 14 points and seven boards. The Heat’s bench, even while depleted by the absences of Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, and Davion Mitchell, gave Miami the depth it needed to put the game out of reach.

The Wizards were led by Jordan Poole’s 35 points, but outside of his solo scoring display, Washington offered little resistance. Missed dunks, defensive breakdowns, and sloppy turnovers plagued the hosts, who trailed by double digits for most of the night. Adebayo and Herro both took early seats in the fourth quarter as the Heat coasted to the finish line.

For head coach Erik Spoelstra, the win tied him with Gene Shue for 17th on the NBA’s all-time regular-season coaching wins list (784). But more importantly, it served as another step in Miami’s effort to sharpen its identity and habits ahead of the postseason. Spoelstra credited the Heat’s collective energy and the leadership of Adebayo and Herro as the catalyst for this late-season surge.

“We’ve developed some much better habits, the process has been solid, guys are gaining confidence,” Spoelstra said. “All of this has built off the adversity and playing well. Guys are pouring life into each other.”

With the win, Miami (34-41) moved one full game ahead of 10th-place Chicago and just 1.5 games behind eighth-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference play-in race. The Heat now head to Boston for a much tougher challenge against the East-leading Celtics, with momentum—and maybe a little swagger—firmly on their side.

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