Wizards fall to Heat, remain winless
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Miami Heat had just a pair of three-game losing skids during their back-to-back championship campaigns.
They avoided another such slide on Sunday.
LeBron James had 25 points in the Heat's 103-93 triumph over the Washington Wizards.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Miami was below .500 coming into the tilt for the first time since losing its first game with James and Chris Bosh in 2010-11.
Bosh added 24 points and seven rebounds, while Dwyane Wade chipped in 20 points for the Heat, who have won four in a row against the Wizards.
"The intensity was better and the consistent ball movement was better than it's been," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington, which fell to 0-3, dropped its first 12 games last year after starting 0-8 to begin the 2011-12 campaign.
Bradley Beal made four triples en route to 19 points in defeat.
"We did a great job moving the ball. We just have to knock down shots and limit our turnovers as much as possible," Beal said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Heat began to pull away in the latter stages of the second following an 18-5 run. James and Wade each netted four points, while Norris Cole and Rashard Lewis nailed 3's during the surge, which was capped on a pair of Bosh free throws for a 55-39 advantage with 3:29 left in the half.
Miami took a 61-48 spread into the break.
Bosh had the first five points of a 15-4 sprint, which staked the hosts an 84-61 margin late in the third. It was 84-64 heading into the fourth, where the Heat coasted to the easy victory despite Washington outscoring them 29-16 in the final frame.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
The Heat won by a combined 58 points in the two meetings with Washington last year in South Beach ... Washington center Nene missed his second straight game with a strained left calf.