Olynyk's delay bucket lifts Heat beat Wizards

Kelly Olynyk followed up Dwyane Wade's miss with 0.2 seconds remaining, and the visiting Miami Heat defeated the Washington Wizards 113-112 on Thursday night.

Kelly Olynyk followed up Dwyane Wade's miss with 0.2 seconds remaining, and the visiting Miami Heat defeated the Washington Wizards 113-112 on Thursday night.

Wade's 22-footer over John Wall bounced high into the air, and Olynyk (nine points) went up in a crowd, came down with the rebound and laid it in.

Wall's inbounds pass was deflected as time expired, and the Heat prevailed in a game that featured 21 lead changes.

Josh Richardson led Miami, which lost its opener Wednesday night, with 28 points. Rodney McGruder added 20.

Wall led the Wizards with 26 points and nine assists in their opener. Bradley Beal scored 20 despite being limited by foul trouble.

The Wizards were without new centre Dwight Howard, who missed the opener due to a lower back injury.

Beal converted an alley-oop pass from Wall to give the Wizards a 110-108 lead with 2:26 remaining.

After Richardson made one of two free throws, Wade's layup gave Miami a 111-110 lead. However, Wall sank two free throws with 56 seconds left to put Washington up by one.

Miami was guilty of a shot-clock violation, but Wall missed a 3-pointer from the wing. Miami got the ball and called timeout with 6.6 seconds remaining.

Washington shot 46.9 per cent to 39.2 per cent for the Heat, but Miami had 15 more rebounds and 27 second-chance points.

Goran Dragic led a 14-4 Heat third-quarter run that put Miami ahead 74-66. The Wizards responded with a 10-0 run of their own capped by a Beal 3-pointer that gave Washington the lead.

Howard, signed as a free agent in the offseason, missed all of training camp and the team's exhibition games, but he recently returned to practice.

"He's close, but we don't feel like he is quite there yet," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters before the game.

Ian Mahinmi replaced Howard in the starting lineup and scored three points.

Miami was without James Johnson (sports a hernia), Dion Waiters (left ankle), Wayne Ellington (left ankle), and Justise Winslow (right hamstring).

 

(With inputs from agencies.)