Wizards Back Up “Funeral” Talk With 14th Straight Home Victory

The Washington Wizards showed up to their game against the Boston Celtics wearing all black. It was considered a “funeral” by many on the Wizards’ roster and their play backed up the gesture.

When John Wall and the Washington Wizards lost to the Boston Celtics 117-108 on Jan. 11, things got chippy at the end.

Wall and Celtics forward Jae Crowder had some words at the conclusion of the game, which ended up with Crowder poking Wall in the face and both sides needing to be separated.

Fast forward to Jan. 24 and the Washington Wizards earned a statement victory, winning 123-105 at home. Players wore all black, dubbing the game a “funeral” of sorts. And for all intents and purposes, the Wizards met their own expectations.

The 123 total points were the most scored by the Wizards all season. It was their 14th straight home victory, despite allowing Isaiah Thomas to score 25 points for his eighth straight game.

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Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal combined to score 58 points. Wall was 11-for-20 from the floor with 27 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Beal had 31 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals.

The Washington Wizards are now 19-6 at home. They scored 30 points or more in three out of four quarters against the Celtics. They improved to 25-20 on the season, just six games back of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics have lost three games in a row, the Toronto Raptors have lost four games in a row and the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost two in a row. As the top of the East is struggling, the Wizards are surging — at home, anyway.

The Impending Return of Ian Mahinmi

The Washington Wizards could really use the presence of Ian Mahinmi. Mahinmi averaged 9.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 blocks for the Indiana Pacers last season.

However, he has yet to play in a game for the Wizards since signing a four-year deal worth $64 million. The timetable for Mahinmi’s return is still up in the air.

Mahinmi anchored one of the best defenses in the league for the Indiana Pacers in 2015-16, which led them to the playoffs. With the departure of Nene from Washington in the offseason, signing Mahinmi was almost a blessing in disguise. But his inability to stay healthy this season has left the Wizards grasping at straws.

Mahinmi was set to return at the end of this month, but the Washington Wizards are taking it slow with his rehab. He will be re-evaluated at the end of this month before his status is addressed. 

Without Mahinmi in the lineup, the Wizards have gone small and so far, it’s working. But can they continue to climb up the East ranks without him?

The Push for the 2-Seed

The Washington Wizards have won nine of their last 11 games with their only two losses coming on the road.

They are sitting in a good position as they approach a Jan. 27 matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on the road. The Wizards trail the Hawks by one game for the fourth spot in the East. They’ve got to improve as a road team.

One key to their improvement is the emergence of Markieff Morris. Morris tallied 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the Wizards’ win over the Celtics.

The sixth-year forward is averaging 17.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in the Wizards’ last 11 games. He is shooting 49 perent from the floor and 40 percent from three as well in the same span. His production is well above his averages of 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals for the season.

Morris has four double-doubles over the last 11 games while averaging 34.5 minutes per contest. To put that in perspective, he has five total double-doubles all season. If the Washington Wizards can continue to keep Morris on his hot streak, the 2-seed will be theirs in no time.

After going 10-5 in December, the Washington Wizards are peaking at the right time. Let’s see if they can continue their stellar play. They have only lost three games in the month of January, sitting at 9-4.

As the Wizards approach the All-Star break, they could very well be a team to watch in the East. Wall is averaging 22.0 points, 10.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals in their last 11 games. Beal is averaging 21.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in the same span.

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If these two can continue to co-exist, who knows? Maybe the Wizards could be a team to beat in the East come playoff time.