WASHINGTON _ Hassan Whiteside spotted the Washington Wizards the first 20 minutes. The Miami Heat center is nothing else, if not sporting.
It was, in fact, not until 3:38 remained in second quarter before the NBA rebounding leader grabbed his first of the game.
But once he got on a roll, it was enough for the Heat to actually put together a winning streak with Saturday night's 114-111 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.
From the most modest of starts, Whiteside would turn in continued gaudy numbers, this time closing with 18 points and 18 rebounds, as the Heat made it consecutive victories after losing their previous eight.
But unlike what the Wizards have become with Bradley Beal and John Wall, this was not a case of concentrated statistics.
Instead, Whiteside was supported by 22 points from point guard Goran Dragic, 15 from guard-turned-forward Josh Richardson, 17 from James Johnson and a season-high eight assists from Dion Waiters, who scored 16.
Beal and Wall each scored 34, but otherwise, there wasn't much for Washington beyond the 10 points and 16 rebounds of center Marcin Gortat.
The Wizards made it interesting with John Wall converting a 3-pointer with 41.8 seconds to play to close within 113-108, extended the Wizards' late surge to 17-5.
The Heat then ran down most of the clock, before Dion Waiters was off on a 3-pointer, putting Washington in possession with 18.2 seconds to play.
But the Heat held on from there.
The Heat pushed to a 13-point lead in the third quarter and went into the fourth up 91-82, with Dragic up to 22 points at that stage and Whiteside already with 16 points and 11 rebounds, his 11th double-double in the Heat's 12 games.
It was at that stage, however, that Waiters was forced to the bench with his fourth foul, already up to a season-high eight assists.
The Heat went into halftime up 60-59, with Dragic with 15 points to that stage, James Johnson with 14, Johnson's highest-scoring half of the season.
Whiteside was without a rebound during his first 14 minutes of action before coming up with the first of three on the same possession with 3:38 left to play in the second period. They were the first rebounds by a Heat center, with Willie Reed lost in the second quarter with a hyper-extender right knee that would sideline him for the balance of the night earlier in the period after a misstep. Whiteside then rounded out his first half with 12 points and six rebounds.
Washington took a 35-33 lead into the second period. The Wizards shot 16 of 27 in the first period, the Heat 13 of 20, their accuracy somewhat offset by five turnovers.
Because of all those conversions, the Heat went the entire first quarter without a rebound from a center, with Whiteside playing the first nine minutes of the period and Reed the final three.
In his second game back after missing three with a sprained left ankle, Dragic led the Heat with 11 first-quarter points on 3-of-3 shooting, with power forward Derrick Williams adding seven points in the period.
The game was the first on a four-game trip that continues Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Heat again were without starting small forward Justise Winslow, who missed his third consecutive game due to a sore left wrist. Winslow is traveling with the team.
Waiters was in the Heat starting lineup despite missing the morning shootaround at Georgetown University due to a groin issue.
With Reed out, the Heat played Johnson at center behind Whiteside in the second half, in a lineup that also included Luke Babbitt.
