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Wizards started the game off well with a nice 10-2 run, forcing some early turnovers, but as the game began to slow down, they began struggling to get clean looks on offense.
Donovan Mitchell also began to get going. He was able to get a number of cuts to the basket including a very nasty poster dunk on Rui. Utah’s other All-Star, Rudy Gobert didn’t have the same success. The Wizards bothered him quite a bit, by throwing a lot of bodies in front of him, playing the passing lanes when he rolled and keeping him off the boards.
Bradley Beal was up to his usual antics. He had 23 points at half, including giving the Wizards the lead back with this smooth 3 pointer at the end of the half.
Bradley Beal put the Wizards ahead going into the half with his fourth triple of the night. pic.twitter.com/ayqFnFLYWu
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) February 29, 2020
He would finish with 42 points and 10 assists.
With the Wizards up by 2 at half, the 2nd half started with them continuing to go back and forth with the Jazz. Wizards just could not capitalize. As the quarter rolled on, the Jazz closed the quarter on a 23-9 run to open up a 9-point lead.
The lead would get up as far as 15 points in the 4th before the Wizards started crawling back into this one. The Wizards went with Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant during the critical moments of this one when they needed to make a run and they both delivered, getting this team back in the game within 3 points with some timely shots. Unfortunately Donovan Mitchell got back in the game in the middle of the 4th and got hot. He hit a couple of big 3 pointers to spread the lead to double digits. The Jazz didn’t look back and ended up beating the Wizards 129-119.
Takeaways
Beal’s scoring not leading to winning?
Wizards fall to the Jazz, 129-119. The Wizards are now 1-9 when Bradley Beal scores 40+ points this season.
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) February 29, 2020
Perhaps a little misleading, but definitely going to be a discussion given the number of games the Wizards have lost in this hot streak that Beal is on.
Beal continues to break records
Bradley Beal clinched his 17th straight game of 25+ points with this bucket. He has tied Walt Bellamy for the longest streak in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/0vRc0HclTi
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) February 29, 2020
Fading away
The Wizards are now 1-4 after the all-star break and are 5 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot.
Next up for Washington are the Golden State Warriors on Sunday March 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.