The Sports Xchange
Apr 12, 2017
MIAMI -- Goran Dragic scored 28 points, and the Miami Heat fell short of reaching the playoffs despite a 110-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Miami (41-41) became the first team in league history to finish .500 or above after being at least 12 games below .500. Miami reversed an 11-30 record the first half of the season with an 30-11 finish.
To qualify for the postseason, Miami needed to win and have either Indiana or Chicago lose in the regular-season finale. Both the Pacers and Bulls won, leaving the Heat on the outside looking in.
The Heat increased a six-point lead at halftime with an 8-0 run to start the second half. Hassan Whiteside's three-point play and Josh Richardson's 3-pointer keyed the spurt that increased Miami's lead to 64-50.
Whiteside finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds. Richardson scored 15 points and Willie Reed finished with 16 points for Miami, which took the lead for good after a 21-9 spurt midway through the second quarter.
James Johnson scored 12 points and finished with eight rebounds and eight assists as Miami swept the four regular-season games against the Southeast Division champion Wizards.
Playoff-bound Washington (49-33) played without guards John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wizards coach Scott Brooks rested the starting guards as the team prepares for its first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Forward Otto Porter Jr., who was inactive in the Wizards' last two games, scored 11 points in 15 minutes against Miami.
Trey Burke scored 27 points and Marcin Gortat finished with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field for the Wizards. Rookie guard Sheldon McClellan, recalled from the NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday, scored 18 points.
NOTES: The Wizards won the season series 3-1 with the Hawks. The teams' most recent playoff history was in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals, when the Hawks won in six games. ... Washington has not won 50 regular-season games since the 1978-79 season. ... C Hassan Whiteside finished with a Heat season-record 66 double-doubles and 1,088 rebounds. ... Heat F Udonis Haslem, inactive since Feb. 4, entered the game late in the fourth quarter. Haslem, 36, is Miami's lone holdover from the team's three championship teams.