Bright Spots in the Rubble: Coulibaly, Carrington Stand Out in Latest Wizards Defeat

The Wizards lost to the Miami Heat last night but got strong performances from Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington. The final tally was 140-117 — the third time this season the Heat scored 140 or more against the Wizards.

The shellacking was Washington’s 28th loss by 20 or more points this season. I might believe that number was made up except I watched virtually every minute of them.

Bub Carrington shot 6-7 from three-point range in the Wizards loss to the Miami Heat. | NBAE via Getty Images

The Miami Heat broadcast had some interesting tidbits about the Wizards. Like:

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The Wizards have the NBA’s worst overall record. They also have the worst record at home and on the road. Quite the triple crown.

It’s Washington’s third straight season with fewer than 20 wins.

Washington has used 50 different starting lineups in their 81 games so far this season.

Washington getting stomped by the Heat was inevitable. As has been chronicled extensively, the Wizards want to lose to maximize their Draft Lottery odds. Miami wanted to win to improve their position in the NBA’s play-in games. The Wizards set their lineups and minutes distribution accordingly.

While the Wizards received a thorough butt kicking, there were some positives — Coulibaly, Carrington, and Brian Keefe.

Coulibaly was a classic “tough cover” — 25 points in 22 minutes, 5 rebounds, 5 assists. His usage rate was an astronomical 38.6% and his offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) was 145. That’s a great game.

Carrington had trouble missing shots — 11-15 from the floor, 6-7 from three — en route to 30 points in 34 minutes. He even tossed some accurate lobs, including one to Anthony Gill.

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As for Keefe, I’ve liked a lot of what I’ve seen schematically from Keefe this season, at least when the Wizards actually run sets as designed. Last night, there were a number of really clever and well-designed actions on display.

First quarter, 6:26 — A simple (but effective) “get action.” Carrington passed the ball to JuJu Reese, then ran straight to him for a dribble hand off (DHO). It gave him a wide open…

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Publish date : 2026-04-11 10:00:00

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