NBA 2019-20: Depleted Wizards defeat 3rd seed Miami Heat
The Washington Wizards beat the Miami Heat 123-105 in the NBA in amazing fashion to close off 2019.
With a heavily depleted team, the Wizards won in what was expected to be a blowout from the Miami Heat. With all the injuries to the Wizards roster, the team looked towards several Capital City Go-Go players to take over. But this game was certainly one to watch and likely tops the best win the Wizards have the season ahead of the win against the Philadelphia 76ers. The loss was certainly embarrassing for the Heat and the fans are certainly upset, considering the current state of the Wizards.
Heat could not guard McRae
Coming off the bench tonight, Jordan McRae certainly had a great night. He played 35 minutes and had a team-high 29 points with 4 rebounds and 8 assists. McRae went 9-14 FG, 5-7 FT, and 6-8 3PT. As said previously, if gives players the right amount of minutes, they will produce. But Scott Brooks' rotations are rather hard to predict. Given that he is dealing with almost 8 players injured and out, the rotations will be different. But once they are back, it should consistent. Will it be? Highly unlikely, but we can never know what Brooks has up his sleeves.
Garrison Mathews scores career high 28 points
The undrafted rookie Garrison Mathews showed up tonight, scoring a career-high 28 points in 29 minutes. Mathews has been splitting up his playing time between the Wizards and the Go-Go, but had been called up due to the injuries. Mathews went 6-9 FG, 12-13 FT, and 4-7 3PT. This is likely a one-off game for Mathews unfortunately, as once the starters (and few bench players) come back from injury, he will likely be sent back to the Go-Go. Nonetheless, it was good to see the young man thrive in the minutes he received against a tough team.
Mahinmi scores a career-high 25 points with Wizards
Of course in his contract year, Ian Mahinmi decides to show up and play well for the team. Tonight, he did the best he has done since signing with the Wizards in 2016. Mahinmi scored 25 points, the most he has scored as a Wizard. He went 10-11 FG, 3-8 FT, and 2-3 3PT. Mahinmi played well, being defended against the supposed "Most Improved Player" Bam Adebayo. Should Mahinmi should be traded off? Absolutely, especially considering the future is bright for this team and needs a few more pieces to become a true danger in the Eastern Conference.
Highlights of the game:
What's next?
The Wizards will take a break, ending 2019 off with a win. They will play the Orlando Magic on New Years day at home. Tune-in at 6 PM ET.