Washington Wizards Pull Off Hat Trick At Home
Washington Wizards win their third straight home game, and fourth in a row overall.
The Washington Wizards seem to have used their newfound momentum to make a postseason run. In their last three games, they have allowed less than 100 points in each game. Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks would be no different.
The Knicks were up by as many as 18 points in the Verizon Center. The Wizards managed to get the deficit down to 10 at halftime. And in the second half they went on a 14-0 run to help gain the lead back and secure the 99-89 victory. It was a total team effort by the Wizards as five players scored in double figures. The starters accounted for 81 of the team’s 99 points.
John Wall didn’t have another triple-double, but he did add another double-double posting 24 points and 10 assists for his team. He got an assist from the Polish Hammer, as Marcin Gortat contributed 15 points and 11 boards.
The team trounced the Knicks in the third quarter to gain control of the game as they scored 33 points and limited New York to 13. They also shared the rock efficiently, dishing out 24 assists while taking care of the ball, with only eight turnovers in the game.
It was refreshing to see the Wizards not hang their heads in a game that looked to be getting away from them. A sense of pride was shown in this team that was not there before. Also seeing guys such as Markieff Morris and Otto Porter combine for 31 points on 14-of- 30 shooting from the field is a great sign of depth.
But if anything was learned during this week’s slew of games, it was that life was brought back to the Wizards and gave hope to their fans that the team is on track.
Although Bradley Beal had an off shooting night on Saturday (10 points, 4-of-12 shooting), but the fact that he is starting to healthy at the right time for his team is exceptional. He provides another presence on the floor to take pressure off of Wall when his game is on.
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The Wizards still look to keep pace for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, as they are 1.5 games out of that final playoff spot. They look to get back to .500 on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks. It is clear the fight in this team is still there. And now they continue to scratch and claw their way to the playoffs, no matter what odds are against them.