Heat 106, Wizards 103

Heat still need help from Bulls, Pacers or Bucks

Whiteside’s 30 points, 12 rebounds lead way.

WASHINGTON — There still is a pulse — as if there was any doubt this Miami Heat team would go out with a fight.

the situation still remains on life support in this bid to go from 11-30 at midseason to the playoffs.

And it looks like it will come down to the final night of the season.

Taking care of what was in their control, the Heat stepped up on the second night of a back-to-back set of games Saturday night to push past the Washington Wizards 106-103 at the Verizon Center, going ahead on a James Johnson driving, spinning finger-roll layup with 11 seconds to play.

Even if the Heat win their final two games — Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena against the Cleveland Cavaliers and then Wednesday at home against the Wizards — they will still need outside help, with at least one loss from the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls or MilBut waukee Bucks.

The Pacers close out with a Monday road game against the Philadelphia 76ers and a

Wednesday home game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls close out with home games Monday against the Magic and Wednesday against the Nets. The Bucks finish off with a Monday home game against the Charlotte Hornets and a Wednesday home game against the Boston Celtics.

Going in, Wizards coach Scott Brooks said, “They are fighting for their playoff life, as we are for our position.”

It played out with that type of passion, not decided until the final buzzer.

Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with 30 points and 12 rebounds, with Tyler Johnson adding 19 points, Goran Dragic 18 and James Johnson 15.

Forward Markieff Morris led the Wizards with 21 points, with Bradley Beal and John Wall each adding 16 for Washington. It was harrowing at the close. But the Heat survived. A 3-pointer by Morris midway through the fourth quarter pushed the Wizards to 90-86 lead. From there, a Josh Richardson 3-pointer drew the Heat within 92-91, with a pair of Whiteside free throws giving the Heat a 93-92 lead.

A Morris jumper, a James Johnson turnover and a Marcin Gortat free throw then put the Wizards up 95-93, before a Tyler Johnson 3-pointer gave the Heat a 96-95 lead with 3:02 left.

Then, with 2:09 left, Richardson was called for a questionable goaltend on a Wall shot that put Washington up 97-96, with James Johnson responding with a dunk for a 98-97 lead. Because of the play coming outside of the final two minutes, the goal-tend on Richardson could not be reviewed.

In the wake of a series of Wizards turnovers, Dragic then drained a jumper for a 100-97 Heat lead with 1:32 to play.

That’s when Morris stepped up to hit an open 3-pointer to tie it 100-100, only to have Whiteside counter with a jump hook for a 102-100 Heat lead.

Gortat then scored on a tip-in to tie it 102-102.

After a Richardson miss, Wall went to the line with 20.6 seconds to play, missing the first but making the second for a 103-102 Washington lead.

That’s when the Heat went to James Johnson who took the inbounds pass beyond midcourt and worked his way to the rim for a spinning finger-roll layup and a 104-103 Heat lead with those 11 seconds to play.

Wizards forward Kelly Oubre then threw away the inbounds pass, with Richardson coming up with the ball, fouled with 9.7 seconds to play, converting both free throws for a 106-103 lead.

Beal then was blocked on a potential tying attempt.

The Heat again went with James Johnson as their starting power forward, with Luke Babbitt unable to make it back from the strained right hip flexor sustained in last Sunday’s home loss to the Denver Nuggets. Babbitt traveled with the team for the three-game trip.

In addition, Dion Waiters missed his 11th consecutive game with a sprained left ankle, with Josh Richardson continuing to start in his place.

The Wizards had to alter their lineup for a second consecutive game. After Morris missed Thursday’s victory over the New York Knicks with a sore right ankle, he returned to the lineup Saturday. But starting small forward Otto Porter missed his first game of the season, due to back spasms, with Oubre staring in his place. Oubre then slid over to the defensive assignment on Dragic, the Wizards able to cross-match because of the Heat’s undersized starting lineup.

Porter had appeared in 120 consecutive games, which had been the longest active streak by a Wizard. The start was Oubre’s third of the season.

PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP Heat forward James Johnson recovers a loose ball against Wizards guard Bojan Bogdanovic during the first half. Johnson finished with 15 points and also scored the game-winning shot on a driving, spinning finger-roll layup with 11 seconds to play.

PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP Wizards guard Brandon Jennings loses control of the ball going up for a shot against Heat guard Wayne Ellington during the first half.