Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal’s Clutch Performance Leads Wizards To Victory

In a last-minute victory against the Knicks, Bradley Beal showed how clutch he can really be for the Washington Wizards as they head toward the postseason.

Bradley Beal and John Wall are an absoloute force to be reckoned with.

Their game Thursday night against the Knicks was much closer than anyone expected despite the opponent’s lineup mostly consisting of bench players, but a clutch performance by Bradley Beal included hitting a three-pointer and two free throws to seal the deal.

Currently 0.5 games back of the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards will look to finish the regular season strong.

Clutch Performance On The Road

Bradley Beal is finally playing up to his full potential. Since entering the league he has struggled to stay healthy and play a full season. His most recent outing against the Knicks — regardless of their starting lineup — is evidence that he has put the past behind him. Leading the Wizards in minutes played on the night with 36, Beal showed no signs of slowing down.

Dropping 25 points included shooting 4-of-9 from behind the arc and made all his free throws. This includes the costly Justin Holiday foul that sent Beal to the line to take the lead and ultimately seal the win.

Bradley Beal is not simply just a threat on the offensive front. He is more than capable and quite consistent contributing elsewhere on the court. He closed the night with three rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block as well.

 John Wall Will Not Be Stopped

John Wall is having a career year and at age 26, many wonder what his ceiling will be. He continues to improve his game on all fronts and his performance Thursday night was nothing short of stellar.

John Wall scored 24 points on the night while he would combine with Beal for a total of 49. Wall dropping 24 points is not rare, although shooting at 60 percent from the field is beyond exceptional.

You know what else is expectional? Hitting four of five from beyond the arc at 80 percent. It can be tough to lose when you can post monster shooting percentages on your opponent.

As if the point has not been made clear, he is indeed having a career year. Averaging 23.2 points on the season is above his career average of 18.8. His steals have increased by 0.4 per game and his assists by 1.5 per game. If it were not for Russell Westbrook and James Harden‘s stat-stuffing seasons, John Wall would be an obvious MVP candidate.

Ending The Regular Season Strong

It is easy for teams to start looking toward potential matchups as we move toward the playoffs. A clutch performance serves as a reminder of the importance of the games to come. The Wizards will play their final home game of the regular season Saturday night against the Miami Heat.

While the Wizards’ record is 48-31, they should stay hungry and add a 50-win season to their list of accomplishments in 2017. Next week they will play against the Detroit Pistons, who have recently been eliminated from the playoffs, and meet the Heat once more for the final game of the season. The Wizards can potentially ruin Miami’s season and playoff hopes if they can continue playing well heading into the postseason.

Next: 2016-17 NBA Power Rankings: Week 24

With Bradley Beal coming up in the clutch and John Wall playing like a man on fire, the Wizards are beginning to look like a favorite in the Eastern Conference.