Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo couldn’t save the Heat from dropping a stinker at home against the Wizards

Delon Wright, waived by the guests on Feb.18 and now a Heatle, watched on the bench, likely repulsed, as the hosts couldn’t separate themselves from a G-League team their previous coach quit on for an advisory role. He witnessed his EXs spoil the fourth quarter while coach Erik Spoelstra ignored his number.

(Tyler Herro (foot) and Kevin Love (heel) were absent for the Heat.)

Forget the Heat’s accuracy over the last 10 games (38.9%, sixth in the NBA). The Wizards put a spell on its deep shooting, mostly closing out on time and getting bailed out by six free throw misses.

On the other side, Kyle Kuzma converted a poor nine of 32 looks but baited Nikola Jović into a pump-fake foul and persistently initiated contact on paint drives. Corey Kispert turned into Bradley Beal, popping off for five 3-point bombs when the defense overreacted to dribble penetration, plus gave up the corner and made one over Terry Rozier’s head at the top of the key.

After an efficient but passive first half, Butler was freed for a cut on the right side by Duncan Robinson’s back screen to dunk Adebayo’s lob from the top of the key and successfully rim-rolled going left. In the fourth, he scored in transition and a layup from the left dunker spot. Later, the Wizards keyed in on the often-used and predictable back screen that set him up at the basket after the catch, preventing it from causing more damage. He finished with 23 points on nine of 20 ventures.

Rozier scored 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Aside from setting up Robinson’s threes, he was ineffective in the fourth quarter, supplying two points on 25% shooting.

Adebayo amassed 10 points and eight rebounds through quarters one and two. Then, he gobbled eight rebounds and six points, but was scoreless in the last frame with no free throw attempts and one miss late that Martin swooped in to put back, cutting the Heat’s deficit to two points with 31.5 seconds to go.

On the next play, Kuzma picked up Rozier on a forced switch on the right side, but hit him in the face with his offhand when trying to dive by, instantly getting penalized. Twelve seconds left. The possession returned to the Heat, which it gagged with Robinson’s well-guarded left-wing attempt and Butler’s right-side miss.

The Heat were upset 108-110. Scoring 62 paint points, 14 on the break, 13 on extra tries, 12 after turnovers and 27 by the bench couldn’t save the club from the indignity of losing to a group that had a 10-53 record before the match.

The Wizards connected on five tough deep shots and four against loose defense in the second half. Additionally, the visitors logged 40 interior points, 13 in the open court, seven on extra tries, 13 after turnovers and 17 by the reserves.

No, it’s not the twilight zone, but the Heat’s reality is sad- an inconsistent group at the wrong time of year. It shouldn’t have been close late and Spoelstra sold the company line at the postgame presser, saying, “This is what competition is about. Another team will make more plays, as frustrating as that may be… We dropped this one. We’ll have to live with those results, but this is also why we love this profession. We love all context and pressure at this time of year. And we didn’t handle our business in these three games.”

“I know there will be team’s in the East that don’t as well, and we are not leaving it up to them. We are just going to have to focus on ourselves. This is a harrowing ride, and our group has the right intentions. We will just take a day off tomorrow, recalibrate and get ready and prepare at practice on Tuesday for a big game on Wednesday.”

The loss should have been a tune-up win. The progress made in February, going 8-3, is being erased on a current three-game losing streak, which the crew had chances to succeed in each time.

The stat sheet will mislead those who didn’t watch in person or on TV. One of the worst teams in the NBA came into Kaseya Center, giving the Heat the business. Perhaps the result indicates Miami’s team isn’t as strong as last year’s eighth-seeded, Play-In victorious Eastern champs. During a timeout with under four minutes left, no one got the memo: “No threes allowed.” They permitted two more the rest of the way.

On Wednesday, the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, winners of eight of its last 10 and an awful matchup for the Heat, come to town. At this stage, the Heat are the tune-up for them.

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