The Wizards played one of their best games this season, but Giannis’s 40-point triple-double proved too much.
With five minutes left in Saturday’s game, the Washington Wizards seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough. Alex Sarr had just hit a three point shot and Jordan Poole’s two free throws capped a 9-2 run to pull Washington within two points of the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, announcer Chris Miller mentioned that the Wizards had yet to miss a free throw. Poole missed his third attempt and it was all downhill from there. The Bucks scored 10 straight points to put the game away, 124-114. Washington has lost 14 consecutive games and falls to 2-16 on the season.
What Happened
- The game was a tight affair throughout. Washington stayed within single digits for the vast majority of the game, but they didn’t hold a lead after the midway point of the second quarter. The 10-point loss marks the Wizards’ closest game since losing to the Spurs by nine on November 13th.
- Jordan Poole led the team with 31 points and 7 assists. He needed 23 shots to get his points and still struggled from three (3/10), but he had one of his cleanest games of the season… until the game was on the line. He only turned the ball over three times, but two came in the last three minutes and kickstarted the Bucks’ game-sealing run.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo was just too much for the Wizards’ struggling defense. The Greek Freak put up 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. He took just one more shot than Poole from the field (24) and got to the line 17 times. Every NBA team would struggle with Giannis tonight, but Washington had very few solutions.
- Malcolm Brogdon (29/11/3) and Jonas Valanciunas (16/7/5) continue to be Washington’s best players. Brogdon has scored 15 or more points in his last five games. Valanciunas logged his second-straight game with 15 or more points, as well. The two vets are making strong cases to any potential trade suitors watching.
- The “Core Four” of Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington combined for 18 points and went 7-of-27 from the field (25.9%). They also shot 2-of-14 from three. On one hand, the young guns need more opportunities to shine. After all, Poole took 23 shots by himself. But, they also need to start making shots to earn those opportunities soon.
What’s Next
- The Wizards travel to Cleveland for an NBA Cup matchup with the 17-3 Cavaliers. The game is at 7 pm on Tuesday. The Cavs have lost two straight games to the Atlanta Hawks, the only team Washington has beaten this season.
- Kyle Kuzma will not play in the Cavs game due to a rib injury.