Will Riley sets a new career-high with 31 points in the Washington Wizards road loss against the Miami Heat
The good news is the Washington Wizards avoided NBA history in Saturday's meeting against the Miami Heat, but the bad news is it ended in another double digit loss after falling, 152-136.
This marks the second consecutive game the Wizards have allowed over 150 points, a concerning stat for a Wizards team in dire need of focusing on defensive improvement this offseason.
Will Riley would prove to be the spark for the Wizards after finishing with 31 points and five steals, both career highs and his first career 30 point game. He did it efficiently after shooting 12-of-17 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three point, while adding five rebounds in 37 minutes.
Sharife Cooper also recorded his second career 20-point game after finishing with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three. Justin Champagnie also registered a double-double - 12 points and ten rebounds - in just 21 minutes. Julian Reese didn't register a point, but did notch nine rebounds in just ten minutes.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. would lead the way for Miami with 32 points in 32 minutes on 66% shooting, while Kel'el Ware registered eight blocks against the Wizards.
Saturday was also the first meeting between the two teams since Bam Adebayo posted the second-highest scoring game in NBA history with 83 points in an eventual 21 point win for the Miami Heat, a game that will live in infamy in Wizards history.
But Saturday wouldn't wind up as humiliating as the last time around with the Wizards, at time triple teaming him, holding Bam Adebayo to five points through the opening quarter compared to the 31 points last time. Will Riley and Tre Johnson would step up for the Wizards to take an early lead before Miami responded with a 10-4 run over the final 2:29 in the quarter to take a 36-32 lead into the first break.
A three from Jaden Hardy would make it a one point game, but it proved to be the closest the Wizards would get. The Heat broke the game open with a 25-8 run over the next seven minutes before building a 20 point lead with three minutes left in the half, maintaining that lead with the Wizards trailing 77-57 at halftime.
Miami then pushed the lead to 25 points just three minutes into the second half before head coach Brian Keefe called a full timeout to try to end the slide, but that wouldn't materialize as the Heat pushed their lead to 30 before taking a 31-point lead into the final quarter.
Now sitting at 17-60 and still in control of the league's worst record, the Washington Wizards will prepare for game two of the back to back on the road when they take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday with tipoff set for 3:30 PM.