Wizards vs. Blazers final score: Washington stumbles late against Portland, 129-121

No win streak for the Wiz tonight.

The Washington Wizards lost a roller coaster of a clash 129-121 on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers at Capital One Arena.

Deni Avdija’s return to D.C. did not go as planned as the 24-year-old suffered a quad injury in the first quarter of the contest.

The first half was about as ugly as it gets when you have two rebuilding teams squaring off in February. The two teams went 10/43 from downtown over the first two quarters With the Blazers scratching out a 55-54 lead at the half.

What did Washington in was the team’s inability to secure defensive rebounds. Portland grabbed 17 boards from the offensive glass, leading to 21 second-chance points. The Wizards did not grab their first offensive rebound until late in the second quarter.

Richaun Holmes had a perfect night with 20 points on 7/7 shooting and a 6/6 clip from the free throw line. Jordan Poole tallied 24 points on 17 shots, while Corey Kispert added 20 points off the bench. Bilal Coulibaly had a quietly efficient night with 16 points shooting 7/9 from the field.

However, the Wizards just did not have the interior heft and rim protection to keep the Blazers out of the paint in this one. Portland outscored Washington 62-42 in the paint with standout Shaedon Sharpe going off for a career-high 36 points. Sharpe also had arguably the Dunk of the Year in the second quarter.

Washington has a winnable game next as they take on the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.