Eight Detroit players scored in double figures Thursday night as the Detroit Pistons ran the Washington Wizards out of the gym, 132-102. Anzejs Pasecniks led the Wizards with 17 points off the bench and Jordan McRae added 15 but most of their scoring came in garbage time with the game well out of hand.

Washington started the game just 3-15 from the field and that cold shooting haunted them for most of the night. The starters combined to shoot a horrific 28 percent from the field as Detroit blew this game open 68-48 by halftime and wouldn’t have to break a sweat the rest of the night.

Takeaways

Another tough shooting night for Bradley Beal

For the second time this week, Bradley Beal had a tough shooting night. Beal ended the night with 15 points but shot just 5-14 from the field and missed all five of his three-point attempts.

Beal was able to slash his way to the hole in the first half and was getting to the line (5-7 from the charity stripe), but he continued to struggle with his three-point shot. Beal is now 9-45 (20 percent) from distance in his last five games and some of his shots aren’t even coming close. Now, it’s very possible that the offensive burden of trying to carry this team is starting to wear on him. Also, Beal clearly wasn’t 100 percent tonight as multiple times, he was seen grimacing as well as getting his calf massaged by the training staff on the sideline.

It’s not very sexy right now (or it is depending on who you talk to) but it might be time to start thinking about load management with Beal. Right now he’s playing the second most minutes in the league behind James Harden and he might be starting to wear down.

Beal was last seen walking into the locker room during the timeout between the third and fourth quarters and never returned to the bench.

Who’s up next?

Two weeks ago, it was Anzejs Pasecniks who was thrusted into the Wizards rotation due to their injury woes at the center position. On Monday, it was Gary Payton II who got straight off a plane from Las Vegas where he was supposed to play in a G-League game but instead, suited up for Washington against the Knicks. Tonight, it was Johnathan Williams turn to suit up for the Capital City Go-Go Washington Wizards.

Williams, a teammate of Rui Hachimura at Gonzaga played alongside the reserves tonight and was able to hold his own. He played with energy and was active on the glass ending the night with 9 points and 8 rebounds (3 OREBs).

Markieff Morris helps the Wizards out

In what was a pretty goofy sequence of events. Markieff Morris stumbled in his attempt to grab a defensive rebound. Andre Drummond grabbed the loose ball and attempted to dribble it up the floor only to bounce to ball off of Morris which turned into an easy dunk for Anzejs Pasecniks right before the end of the first quarter.

Up Next: The Wizards look to get back in the win column on Saturday night where they’ll head home to take on the New York Knicks for the second time this week.