ESPN drops Heat/Wizards telecast

The Miami Heat just finished a West Coast road trip with an impressive 4-2 record and stand within a game of the playoff picture.

But the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported Tuesday that ESPN dropped a planned telecast between the Heat and the visiting Washington Wizards Jan. 4 for a game between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

Both Dallas and Boston have winning records, while the Heat and Wizards are each below the .500 mark. But the Heat didn’t come into the season with many nationally televised games, and Dwyane Wade is playing his last season.

The Heat’s next game, Thursday against the Houston Rockets, will appear on TNT.