March 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) committed a foul on Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the first half at the Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Image The Miami Heat are gaining steam and Bam Adebayo is leading the way.
Miami, which is riding a five-game winning streak, is scheduled to play the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Adebayo scored 24 points Sunday as Miami topped Eastern Conference-leading Detroit 121-110. With this, Adebayo surpassed 10,000 career points. Adebayo and Dwyane Wade are the only players to score more than 10,000 points in a Heat uniform.
“It feels good (to me) to be drafted to play defense,” said Adebayo, Miami’s first-round pick in 2017 and 14th overall. “This is about the hard work and dedication I put into the game and is a milestone 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 worked hard and was willing to work,” Spoelstra said. “His scoring is important to this team, but when he’s on the court, our defense is outstanding.”
As a team, this is Miami’s longest winning streak since November.
“We are piling on the wins,” Adebayo said. “Now that it’s March Madness time, it’s time to continue this winning streak into the playoffs (next month).”
The Heat, with a 21-11 record at home, is winning without two injured starting pitchers, including Norman Powell (groin) and Andrew Wiggins (toe). Two role players are also out: Nikola Jovic (back) and Simone Fontecchio (groin).
But Spoelstra believes in the depth of his team.
“You can feel our locker room is trying to seize this moment,” Spoelstra said. “We’re having fun playing with our identities on both sides.”
Meanwhile, Washington has lost eight straight, the second-longest active skid in the NBA.
The Wizards have used 26 players this season, and two rookies had big games for Washington in Sunday’s 138-118 loss at New Orleans. Tre Johnson scored 20 points and Will Riley scored 19 points.
A great shooter at all three levels, Johnson has the Wizards excited. The Wizards are hoping the 20-year-old shooting guard, who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will be part of their future along with All-Star veterans Anthony Davis and Trae Young, whom they acquired earlier this year.
Davis is injured and has yet to make his Wizards debut, but Young has appeared in two games for Washington, averaging 18.5 minutes and 14.5 points.
Young, a four-time All-Star, appears excited to return from injury, regain form and establish himself as a leader for Washington.
“I’ve never been to the (NBA) Finals, but I won two games there,” Young said of the 2021 playoff game against Atlanta. “I know what it takes to get there. For me it’s about trying to go further from here and I know I can’t do it overnight.
“That’s why I love where I am now. What we preach is daily habits and getting better every day, whether you’re in the gym or not. You can improve every day, whether in body or mind. These daily habits are what will lead us to long-term success.”
–Field level media
