Feb 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) reacts after having a technical foul called against him against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Wizards get Destroyed by the Heat at Home

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Bryson Akins | Last updated Feb 8, 2026 4:59 PM ET

After suffering a humiliating defeat against the Brooklyn Nets, the Washington Wizards headed back to DC to get ready for the Miami Heat.

Before the game, only six players were healthy. Then, right before the game, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Tristan Vukcevic were listed as available. Still, these four were not enough to beat the Miami Heat.

The game began well, as the team was only down by four points at the end of the first quarter. Then, it just went downhill, as the Wizards were clearly outmatched on the second day of a back-to-back.

Although it was a loss, the Wizards are obviously tanking, which has allowed some of the young guys to showcase their talent with only 30 games left in the season.

Wizards Get Burnt by the Heat

Alex Sarr has been one of the few consistent bright spots for the Wizards this season. He has been playing like a borderline All-Star and had a solid game in limited action. In 26 minutes of play, Sarr had 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting with 12 rebounds and five assists.

Although he played on a minutes restriction, he still showed out. He had a very good game, both offensively and defensively. We have to wonder whether he can continue this after the All-Star break, or if he gets shut down for the rest of the season.

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Off the bench, Tristan Vukcevic had a solid game, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting with four made long-distance shots. Vukcevic is in his final year, so he can be on a two-way deal. This is surely putting pressure on the big man drafted in 2022 to perform well enough to get offered a standard contract.

His biggest problem has always been defense, and in this game, he continued to struggle down low. Still, his offense is impressive enough that Will Dawkins might be willing to offer him a one-year minimum contract for next season.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Other than that, no one else really impressed. Bub Carrington looked decent, but struggled from 3-point distance and had quite a few turnovers. Will Riley also came back down to earth after a career game in Brooklyn.

There were also a few injuries during the game, with both Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly leaving the game early. These two could be sidelined for a few weeks, especially George, who has an ankle sprain. Still, it will be interesting to see how much some of the starters play the rest of the season, as the team appears to be in full tank mode to finish the year.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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