Kevin Durant scored a game-high 32 points and Steph Curry added 25 as the reigning champion Golden State Warriors come into Washington and beat the Wizards, 109-101 on Wednesday night.

Otto Porter led the way for Washington with 29 points, including 18 in the first half. Kelly Oubre added 17 points for a tired, dead-legged, Wizards squad playing on the second half of a back-to-back but it wasn’t enough to avoid the inevitable in this one.

The Wizards looked off to start the game. Shots weren’t falling in the first quarter and guys were making lazy passes leading to easy transition opportunities for Golden State. Washington committed five turnovers in the first quarter which turned into 11 Golden State points as the Wizards found themselves in an early hole.

Washington refused to let it get out of hand. They made several runs to keep the game close, but unfortunately for the Wizards, the Warriors did that thing where they let teams hang around and make them think there’s a chance to take control, only to rip off an 8-0 run in the blink of an eye whenever things got too close for comfort.

Takeaways

The bench provides a second-quarter spark

Everything changed for the Wizards in the second quarter thanks to the reserves. The bench unit ripped off a 10-0 run with hustle plays and ball movement to get the Wizards back in the game before it got out of hand. There was a sequence in the second quarter where Tim Frazier nabbed two offensive rebounds on the same possessions and dished the ball off to Mike Scott for a thunderous jam.

That jolt of energy the reserves provided carried over when the starters returned to the game as Porter, Morris, and Satoransky all knocked down 3-pointers as Washington was able to regain the lead for a brief moment, 53-52.

Washington outscored the Warriors 35-22 in the period giving them a fighter’s chance entering the second half. Not bad, considering Bradley Beal didn’t score until the third quarter of the game.

The scheduling fairies did the Wizards no favors tonight

Not only is Washington in the midst of their toughest stretch of the season, but having to play Golden State on the second half of a back-to-back after playing in Milwaukee the night before? Brutal. As a result, the Wizards came out flat to start the game and looked stuck in the mud for a large portion of the second half as they tried to fight back.

Don’t read too much into this loss. The Wizards just need to move on as they have two more important games against Eastern Conference foes later this week.

Game Notes

• Bradley Beal was held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season and didn’t score his first basket of the game until the 5:17 mark of the third quarter. He ended the night with just eight points on a brutal 3-15 shooting
• Everyone snacks – The Wizards combined for 25 assists tonight. Still good, but not 30+ like we’ve become so accustomed to in recent weeks.
• Washington let the long ball fly tonight jacking up 32 three-pointers, but they only connected on 11 of them (34 percent).

Up Next: Hell week continues as the Raptors come to town Friday night in a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup.