The Heat manhandled the Wizards in the only encounter between the two teams this season, walking away with the 106-89 victory on Feb. 10.
At this point in the season, the Wizards are only playing for pride, and the Heat shouldn't have any problems against them at the American Airlines Arena. The Heat have been extremely dominant at home, while the Wizards have struggled on the road all season.
Miami's role players and defense has given fans a lot of reasons for concern since the All-Star break, but coach Erik Spoelstra seems to have found a way to turn things around. They've tightened up their defense in the past few weeks, and their role players are back to putting significant numbers on the board.
Unfortunately for the Heat, their poor play in the second half of the 2011/12 season has cost them the top spot in the east. They'll need to close the season out strong - and a little bit of luck, if they want to secure the number one seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Given how well the Heat have played at home, home-court advantage will definitely be beneficial to them come playoff time. Spoelstra doesn't really seem concerned with the standings though, and he's confident the Heat will be fine regardless of the final standings.
"We needed to address our consistency, our identity, make sure that we're playing at a high level going into the postseason," Spoelstra told reporters. "That is, first and foremost, our priority. Obviously the standings are something that we're aware of. And when you have an opportunity to play for it, you do. But in terms of it being bigger than anything ... I think players have the proper perspective about it."
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Stats LLC, "Wizards-Heat Preview"
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