The Miami Heat are gaining steam, and Bam Adebayo is leading the way.
Miami, which has won five straight games, will play host to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Adebayo scored 24 points Sunday as Miami dominated Eastern Conference leader Detroit 121-110. With that total, Adebayo passed 10,000 career points. Adebayo and Dwyane Wade are the only players ever to score more than 10,000 points in a Heat uniform.
“It feels great for (me), a guy who was drafted for defense,” said Adebayo, Miami’s first-round pick, 14th overall, in 2017. “It’s about the hard work and dedication I put into my game, and it’s a milestone that I will never forget.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra echoed some of Adebayo’s sentiments while still focusing on defense.
“He came here not known as a scorer, but he has worked and willed himself into that,” Spoelstra said. “For this team, his scoring is important. But when he’s on the court, our defense is outstanding.”
As for the team overall, this is Miami’s longest winning streak since November.
“We’re stacking wins,” Adebayo said. “It’s March Madness time, so it’s time for us to carry this win streak into (next month’s) playoffs.”
The Heat, who are 21-11 at home, are winning without two injured starters: Norman Powell (groin) and Andrew Wiggins (toe). Two role players are also out: Nikola Jovic (back) and Simone Fontecchio (groin).
But Spoelstra believes in his team’s depth.
“You can sense that our locker room is trying to seize the moment right now,” Spoelstra said. “We’re having fun playing to our identity on both ends.”
Washington, meanwhile, has lost eight straight games, the second-longest active skid in the NBA.
The Wizards have used 26 players this season, and, in Sunday’s 138-118 loss at New Orleans, two rookies had big games for Washington. Tre Johnson scored 20 points, and Will Riley added 19.
Johnson, a terrific shooter from all three levels, has the Wizards excited. The Wizards are hoping that the 20-year-old shooting guard — the sixth player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft — is part of their future along with All-Star veterans Anthony Davis and Trae Young, both acquired earlier this year.
Davis is injured and has yet to make his Wizards debut, but Young has played two games for Washington, averaging 18.5 minutes and 14.5 points.
Young, a four-time All-Star who is working his way back from injury, seems excited about returning to form and establishing himself as Washington’s leader.
“I haven’t been to the (NBA) Finals, but I’ve gotten two games from it,” Young said of his 2021 playoff run with Atlanta. “I know what it takes to get there. For me, it’s about trying to get further here, and I know you can’t do it overnight.
“That’s why I love it here right now. What we’re preaching are the daily habits and getting better every day, whether you’re in the gym or not. You can improve each day, whether it’s your body or your mind. Those daily habits are going to carry us to long-term success.”
