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Washington only scored 13 points over the final eight minutes as they lost to the Nets 103-98 on Tuesday night.
It was tough sledding for the Wizards most of the night on the offensive end, in what will hopefully be the team’s last game without John Wall. Bradley Beal took 33 shots and only generated 28 points, including a dismal 0 of 7 performance from deep. The rest of the starters were not much better. Otto Porter needed 13 shots to get 11 points. Markieff Morris only had 6 points and 1 rebound in under 19 minutes of action. Marcin Gortat and Tim Frazier finished with 5 points each.
Defensively, the Wizards were able to keep the Nets from being productive from deep, as Brooklyn shot 10 of 43 (23.3 percent) from beyond the arc, but it came at the expense of their interior defense. Their aggressive traps allowed Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Tyler Zeller, and Jarrett Allen to all post big nights thanks to the clean looks they were getting in the paint.
Unfortunately for Washington, one of their rare perimeter breakdowns came in the final minute. Allen Crabbe got open for a three on a botched switch that gave Brooklyn a 100-98 lead with 44.1 seconds left. From there, Washington could only muster up a contested Beal jumper and a five second violation as the Wizards dropped their second straight game on the road in the closing moments.
Takeaways
Beal had a Wittman game
Beal has had a lot of success recently, even though he’s been struggling from outside. This game was no different, as he went 0 of 7 from deep.
The problem in this one was that Beal wasn’t hitting a lot from inside the arc either. He took a lot of tough, low-value shots that were falling last week but had to inevitably fall off at some point. Tonight was that night.
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If there’s any silver lining, it’s that games like this are a reminder of why having John Wall around is important. Beal can carry the Wizards through stretches here and there, but if he isn’t making contested shots at a high rate, it can go downhill rather quickly.
Play Satoransky
It seems pretty clear at this point the bench clicks in a way with Satoransky in the lineup that it just doesn’t with Tim Frazier. That should be reflected in his playing time when John Wall returns.
Game Notes
- Mike Scott’s final numbers for this road trip: 48 points on 21 of 30 shooting. He’s been just what the Wizards have needed while Markieff Morris has struggled to get back to form.
- Jarrett Allen, the player the Nets acquired with the pick from the Bojan Bogdanovic trade, had 11 points in 20 minutes of action.
- Ian Mahinmi had to sit out Tuesday’s game with a sore knee, which meant Jason Smith got a chance to play extended minutes. He finished with a solid 9 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes.
- Also, every time Smith plays someone has to get swatted. Tonight it was Joe Harris’ turn.
Get one back, Jason
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) December 13, 2017
STREAM: https://t.co/rlniXFRYpr pic.twitter.com/68dPXmnwaJ
- Jodie Meeks had a stat line that looked like an off night for Kelly Oubre. He was 2 of 9 from the field, but had 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. He also finished with a +17, but it sure felt like playing him late played a part in Washington’s struggles late. Numbers are weird sometimes.
- Fashion watch: Kelly Oubre wore a Supreme shooting sleeve on his leg during the first quarter because he is Kelly Oubre.
an important moment in nba history pic.twitter.com/usc5zOjSRj
— Abe Schwadron (@abe_squad) December 13, 2017
Next up: The Wizards return home on Wednesday night as they host the Memphis Grizzlies at 7 p.m.