Bullets Forever - Wizards vs. Thunder: Bradley Beal's game-winner gives Washington shocking win"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2013-01-08T15:42:27-05:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/36125252013-01-08T15:42:27-05:002013-01-08T15:42:27-05:00Beally late links
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<p>A bunch of links on last night's game and more.</p> <p><i>Today's links. Sorry for delay: busy day on the mothership.</i></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Yeah, <span>Bradley Beal</span> mania merits a lot of coverage. Video and .gif of the play, in case you missed it. [<a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3849134/bradley-beal-buzzer-beater-gif-wizards-vs-thunder">Us</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/beals-game-winner">WashingtonWizards.com</a> | <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/bradley-beal-hits-1st-career-game-winner-push-143840062--nba.html">Ball Don't Lie</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Recaps from the home team's side. [<a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3848628/bradley-beal-wizards-thunder-score-final/in/3612525">Us</a> | Washington Post (<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards/wizards-vs-thunder-bradley-beal-hits-game-winner-as-washington-upsets-oklahoma-city/2013/01/07/77b1007c-593b-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8dfa_story.html">gamer</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2013/01/08/wizards-team-effort-sets-stage-for-bradley-beals-heroics/">blog</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2013/01/07/kevin-durant-shines-but-decries-thunders-lack-of-focus-in-loss-to-wizards/">other side</a>) | CSN Washington (<a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/wizards-come-big-vsokc">gamer</a>, <a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/beal-has-his-welcome-nba-moment">Beal sidebar</a>, <a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/wizards-numbers-doctors-orders">analysis</a>) | <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/8/bradley-beals-jumper-stuns-thunder/">Washington Times</a> | Washington Examiner (<a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/wizards-beal-closes-the-deal-against-thunder/article/2517878#.UOx_I4njmg4">gamer</a>, <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/wizards-101-thunder-99-postgame-thoughts/article/2517887#.UOx-c4njmg4">blog</a> |<a href="http://www.truthaboutit.net/2013/01/dc-council-game-33-wizards-101-vs-thunder-99-taking-care-of-business.html"> Truth About It</a> | <a href="http://wizardsextreme.com/2013-articles/january/we-game-recap-wizards-vs-thunder-bradley-beal-shines-as-worst-beats-first.html">Wizards Extreme</a> | <a href="http://districtsportspage.com/washington-wizards-game-wrap-33-bradley-beal-has-coming-out-party-in-101-99-win-over-thunder/13346">District Sports Page</a> | <a href="http://wizofawes.com/2013/01/07/shorthanded-washington-wizards-shock-oklahoma-city-thunder/">Wiz of Awes</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Recaps from the other side. [The Oklahoman (<a href="http://newsok.com/bradley-beals-jumper-lifts-wizards-past-thunder/article/3744014">gamer</a>, <a href="http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2013/01/08/wizards-101-thunder-99/">blog</a>) | <a href="http://dailythunder.com/2013/01/okc-falls-in-a-headscratcher-to-the-wizards-101-99/">Daily Thunder</a> | <a href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2013/1/7/3848586/thunder-final-score-wizards-slay-thunder-101-99">Welcome to Loud City</a> | <a href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2013/1/8/3850084/5-reasons-the-thunder-lost-to-the-wizards-last-night">WTLC analysis</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Postgame interviews from WashingtonWizards.com: [<a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/07/Bealpost010713wmv-2348034/index.html">Beal</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/07/010713vsOKCPressermp4-2348011/index.html">Randy Wittman</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/07/Websterpost010713wmv-2348055/index.html">Martell Webster </a>| <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/08/Pricepost010713wmv-2348096/index.html">A.J. Price</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/07/Seraphinpost010713wmv-2348045/index.html">Kevin Seraphin</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/08/Veselypost010713wmv-2348100/index.html">Jan Vesely</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/08/Arizapost010713wmv-2348112/index.html">Trevor Ariza </a>| <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/07/VID00093MP4-2348009/index.html">Kevin Durant</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Amin gives us the inside scoop on what Beal and Wittman were thinking coming into the play. [<a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/8/3849632/bradley-beal-game-winner-wizards-vs-thunder-reaction-quotes">Us</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">BNIE walks us through his Bealmotions. [<a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3848628/bradley-beal-wizards-thunder-score-final/in/3612525">Us</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Henry Abbott reminds us that the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> were close to trading up for Beal before the draft last year. [<a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/53316/bradley-beal-and-the-thunder-again">True Hoop</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>John Wall</span> may be coming back Saturday, if Ted Leonsis' blog post is to be believed. [<a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/8/3851032/john-wall-injury-washington-wizards-ted-leonsis">Ted's Take</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Photos surfaced that made Wall look overweight, but Sarah Kogod shows why those are misleading. [<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2013/01/08/evaluating-john-walls-torso/">DC Sports Bog</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Garrett Temple</span> is here to stay. [<a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3847488/shelvin-mack-release-washington-wizards-garrett-temple">Us</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Andray Blatche</span> was questioned by police in connection to a sexual assault investigation, but he's in the clear, thankfully. [<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2013/1/8/3851272/brooklyn-nets-sexual-assault-investigation-andray-blatche">SB Nation StoryStream</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Suns</a> and <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Grizzlies</a> are talking about a potential <span>Rudy Gay</span> trade. [<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--suns-in-trade-talks-for-rudy-gay-165005609.html;_ylt=Ai85nSH_WKgKcSQhVnDhjjq8vLYF;_ylu=X3oDMTRrZGZzN2tzBG1pdANMSVNUUyBNaXhlZCBMaXN0IE5CQSBFeHBlcnRzBHBrZwM5YzEwNzc4Yi01YWQ1LTNhOTQtOTg5ZS01ZWQ5MjlhMzM5ODAEcG9zAzEEc2VjA01lZG">Yahoo! Sports</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Interesting, candid comments by <span>DeMarcus Cousins</span> about his situation in Sacramento. [<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20130108/demarcus-cousins-sacramento-kings/index.html?eref=twitter_feed">Sports Illustrated</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bucks</a> and <span>Scott Skiles</span> are parting ways. [<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/1/8/3850222/scott-skiles-fired-milwaukee-bucks">SB Nation StoryStream</a> | <a href="http://www.brewhoop.com/2013/1/8/3849970/scott-skiles-bucks-to-part-ways-immediately-according-to-report">Brew Hoop coverage</a>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Video of <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> chasing down <span>Kevin Garnett</span> in the tunnel after the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Knicks</a>' loss to the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Celtics</a> last night. [<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/1/8/3850260/carmelo-anthony-kevin-garnett-team-bus-celtics-vs-knicks-video">SB Nation</a>]</span></li>
</ul>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/8/3852026/bradley-beal-oklahoma-city-thunder-buzzer-beaterMike Prada2013-01-08T12:00:11-05:002013-01-08T12:00:11-05:00Sorting through Bradley Beal euphoria
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<p>WARNING: This article was written on a victory high. If you suffer from chronic realism or have an allergy to unfounded optimism, it is recommended you not board the ride.</p> <p>Monday evening, I sat drumming my fingers, pondering what to be thankful for with the angry reluctance of a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> fan who is told to look to the ever-receding future. Then Nene, <span>Jordan Crawford</span> and <span>Cartier Martin</span> came out wearing suits. 'Ah,' I thought. 'I wonder if <span>Kendrick Perkins</span> will bother to dress? I can't handle much more negativity, much less write it.'</p>
<p>Heebus, Mehri and Yosuph.</p>
<p>Fourth-quarter games. That was the philosophy <span>Scott Brooks</span> espoused to his budding legion of stars before the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> took the top-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> to game 6 in the first round of the playoffs and officially called 'Next' in the contenders conversation. That was <em>our</em> first metric for gauging progress in the Wizards rebuild as we sought to calibrate our expectations. That has been our sole sustenance for years. That got stale. Why?</p>
<p><em>Pointless</em> fourth quarter games. Close contests was the metric, but how often was getting there the result of hero ball that worked because statistically it can't fail all the time? Of transient veterans and veteran transients? (i.e. Kirk Hinrich versus Roger Mason, Jr.) The answer of course is those games got stale because the quality of the process that produced them was poor. Looking forward in 2011, Mike's ingenius <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/john-wall-missed-assist-tracker">Missed Assist Tracker</a> was the only light in the tunnel. Why?</p>
<p>When the Wizards beat the Thunder for their second win in 2011, each and every Wizards fan knew in their hearts <span>Trevor Booker</span> was not going to be the 22 points a game guy. 12-14 ppg, we dared to hope for. When Jordan Crawford, who has matured this season, scored 39 points against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a>, his shot selection drew Marge Simpson's concerned mumble-groan roughly every third possession and many if not most games since. Competitiveness came on the backs of unsustainable performances and not by design in a rebuild that is all about premeditated design. So where is this foreshadowed optimism coming from?</p>
<p><em>Earned</em> fourth quarter games. The first not-just-<span>John Wall</span> flash came (for me) against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> last year. Wall and new acquisition Nene combined for a game-winning pick-and-roll that looked like something fans might actually expect when this team gets good. <span>Bradley Beal</span> blowing up the Thunder with red-hot shooting from three while delivering the dagger with .3 seconds remaining on the game clock is the holiday gift fans deserved and needed, right-now.</p>
<p>But this win was more than simply making those shots. <span>Nick Young</span> got hot from time to time and that never felt like the start of something. Bradley Beal went Rambo on the Oklahoma City Thunder with <span>Kevin Durant</span> draining a clutch three only seconds before to cap off a dominant performance. (Beal also held his opposite number, the hyper-efficient <span>Kevin Martin</span>, to an execrable performance.) Yes, the Wizards were ridiculously and unsustainably hot from three. At least by this season's standards. <span>Jan Vesely</span> was 5-6 from the field for crying out loud.</p>
<p>But not a one of the players out there tonight had a game in excess of how fans view their potential and how they envision them meeting it. The process of how the team arrived Monday night's fourth quarter game felt replicable for a franchise sorely in need of consistency. We saw what the run-you-off-the-court-defense Wizards can do with elite three point shooting, something fans have been screaming for since John Wall was drafted.</p>
<p>Regardless, watching BB3 play John McClane (Ho, ho, ho. Now I have confidence.) with Jan Vesely as <strike>Carl Winslow</strike> Al Powell (he totally shot that one dude!) and <span>Martell Webster</span> shoving a lightning bolt up the Thunder's @$$ as Zeus while the rest of the team put in solid performances felt like a window into a future we can believe in. Looking at the team play <em>and</em> looking back on the game now, I thought 'We can <em>be</em> this.' Forgive my use of the first person.</p>
<p>When I listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qSWUWm63tY">Steve Buckhantz screaming 'Dagger!'</a>, I hear the same recognition. I hear a raw edge of pain at the end of that call that tells me this man bleeds the same as we all do at the end of every close loss with no end in sight. Steve Buckhantz screamed 'Dagger!' like he's been narrating the NBA version of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' for five years. The dawn is coming, though still too early to know what kind of day it will be. Onwards, Wizards soldiers.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/8/3781498/washington-wizards-beat-thunder-remember-to-beal-thankful-for-wall-you-haveBullet Nation in Exile2013-01-08T08:00:12-05:002013-01-08T08:00:12-05:00The oral history of Beal's game-winner
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<p>The Wizards kept the Thunder at arm's length for the second half until Kevin Durant's 3 tied it at 99 with 36 seconds left. It was up to one player to keep the Wizards' hopes alive.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- Rookies are always a mixed bag of expectations. Sure, you think they'll fix your franchise overnight, but you don't <i>really</i> think they'll be your savior. And you definitely don't expect them to make the biggest shot of the game.</p>
<p>"Is he the guy you wanted to have with the ball there, at the end?" asks a reporter in the crowd.</p>
<p>"Yep. That was for him," Randy Wittman replies.</p>
<p>"I just said at the timeout to the guys, ‘How many times have we been in this spot?' It's time for us to be on the other end, to have someone step up and make a play.</p>
<p>"And Bradley made a hell of a shot."</p>
<h4>The Last 3 Minutes, and The Longest 12 Seconds</h4>
<p>"I was exhausted," says Beal, after having played more than 44 minutes. "But coach said, 'If you think I'm taking you out, you're crazy.'"</p>
<p>With 2:58 to go in the fourth quarter, the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> are down 95-90. They're a team full of stars and up-and-coming veterans. They know how to score, they know how to win games at the free throw line and they know how to close out games. After the timeout, <span>Kevin Durant</span> gets the ball. He's fouled by Webster and makes both of his freebies at the line: 95-92.</p>
<p>On the other side down, Beal misses two jumpers. Durant gets the ball, runs to the other end, and slams it home. 94-95, 2:03 to go.</p>
<p><span>Russell Westbrook</span> fouls <span>Martell Webster</span> on a three-pointer. Four-point play. 1:43 to go, 99-94 Wizard lead. <span>Serge Ibaka</span> makes a jumper. 1:36. 99-96</p>
<p><span>A.J. Price</span> misses a jumper. Webster misses a jumper. Westbrook misses a jumper. Durant doesn't miss. 99-99. 36 seconds left.</p>
<p>Price takes the next shot and misses. The ball goes out of bounds, and the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> retain possession with 12 seconds left.</p>
<p>Even with the seconds ticking away, intense moments like these seem to last forever. There is no timeout called before the last shot, but the coach squeezes in a quick play before the clock started again. <span>Scott Brooks</span> had told his guys to start switching on their pick and roll defense, and the Wizards are ready for it.</p>
<p>"We knew they were doing some switching with their bigs late," Wittman recalls.</p>
<p>The coach goes to his rookie and tells him to make a play.</p>
<p>"We wanted to try to get Perkins matched up on Beal at the end."</p>
<p>"The play in itself was just for me to have a high pick and roll with Kevin [Seraphin]," remembers Beal. "[<span>Kendrick Perkins</span> and <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span>] tried to switch, but there was a miscommunication, so Sefolosha backed off me and kind of created a lane. "So I just took the floater.... It rolled off my fingers the right way, and thankfully it went in."</p>
<p>Running the moment over and over again in his mind, the playmaker himself was trying to figure out exactly what happened.</p>
<p>"It was instinctual in itself for real, because I didn't know what I was going to do to be honest with you," Beal says after the game. "Coach told me to go make a play, and I was like, 'I don't know what to do.' But I knew Perkins was going to go for it for sure. With the time going down like that, he was going to contest the jump shot."</p>
<p>And he was right. Perkins and Sefolosha both bit on Beal's quick pump-fake.</p>
<h4>A Coach's Confidence and a Teenager's Maturity</h4>
<p>"He's probably our best one-on-one guy to create an opportunity," Wittman says of Beal afterwards. "He's playing the right way and staying aggressive. [He doesn't go] through a roller-coaster that you'd expect a 19-year-old to go through."</p>
<p>In a season full of lows that can't seem to get any lower, you start counting all the "moral victories" your team gets. A couple of solid defensive possessions. Ahead-of-schedule injury recovery. Transition offense. An alley-oop that seems to tell you that your point guard and his teammates are finally in sync. A sophomore beating the slump. A rookie climbing over the wall.</p>
<p>The thing is, moral victories don't always translate to <i>actual</i> victories. They still show up as an "L" on the schedule, and you still hang your head a little bit lower than a team with a few more W's than you have. Night in, night out, you're craving a win. You've run out of things to make yourself feel better. Winning silences the doubters, the haters, and the voices in your own head. <a href="https://twitter.com/bigtiggershow">As a wise man once said</a>, "If <i>you</i> need a win like <i>I</i> need a win," then, let's get a Goddamn win.</p>
<p>By putting his faith in his rookie, Wittman cemented a moral victory <i>and</i> a real one</p>
<p>"It felt good coming off my hand," says Beal, grinning ear to ear.</p>
<p>But then, the rookie quickly composed himself. He knows what the win means, but he also knows there's a lot of basketball yet to be played.</p>
<p>"I'm celebrating the shot, but I've got to move on from there."</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/8/3849632/bradley-beal-game-winner-wizards-vs-thunder-reaction-quotesAmin Vafa2013-01-07T21:37:14-05:002013-01-07T21:37:14-05:00Watch: Beal's game-winner
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<p>Watch Bradley Beal sink the Thunder with this game-winning shot.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- Here's the shot that officially put Bradley Beal on the national map. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> had the ball with a chance to get the final shot, and Beal got the honor reserved for the game's greatest stars. The floor was spread and he had all the real estate to get the final shot with the game tied. Then, this happened.</p>
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<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1378633/realbeal.gif"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1378633/realbeal_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Realbeal_medium"></a></p>
<p>Initially, the play was problematic. Beal pump-faked, a second <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> player ran at him and he was in trouble. Instead, he pump-faked, got both Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha in the air, ducked underneath both and hit a really difficult leaner to give the Wizards a victory. It cannot be stated enough: that was an incredible shot.</p>
<p>We'll have much more from Beal and the rest of the Wizards after the postgame locker-room session, but in the meantime, feel free to celebrate however you want (.gifs with subject lines, please!). No matter what happens the rest of the year, this was a great moment.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3849134/bradley-beal-buzzer-beater-gif-wizards-vs-thunderMike Prada2013-01-07T21:29:02-05:002013-01-07T21:29:02-05:00Beal saves the day
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<p>Bradley Beal's jumper with 0.3 seconds left carried the Wizards to a shocking 101-99 win over the Thunder. </p> <p>WASHINGTON -- BEAL WITH IT! TRY THE BEAL! HE'S A QUICK BEALER! THE WAY YOU MAKE ME BEAL! IS THIS BEAL LIFE?</p>
<p>There's really no reason to say any more. I'm so happy for <span>Bradley Beal</span>, and we'll remember that moment for the rest of the season. That was an incredible shot, and this was an incredible 101-99 win. No matter how bad this season has been, that was a great memory.</p>
<p>The notes:</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">There's a reason the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder's</a> offense is so good. One team began the team taking a lot of layups and threes. The other began the game clanking mid-range jumpers off the pick and roll.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Very nice of <span>Russell Westbrook</span> to miss two mid-range pullups and a layup. It's nice when he's not hitting the former.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Your best hope when you consistently try to shoot jump hooks is that your other big can sneak in there and grab some rebounds when the shots inevitably miss. The good news is the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> were getting those rebounds.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">One reason I still believe in <span>Martell Webster</span> despite his struggles since taking over for an injured <span>Trevor Ariza</span>: he's a good corner three-point shooter. Webster's <a href="http://www.nba.com/advancedstats/player.html#Martell-Webster%7C101110;year=201213;season=r">up at 46 percent </a>on those shots this year and he hit his first two tonight, one of which was in transition. When John Wall comes back, that skill will be very valuable.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Nice stuff from <span>Kevin Seraphin</span> early. It's about time he actually started banging some bodies inside.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Westbrook and <span>Kevin Martin</span> kept leaving shooters, which is really hard to do against the Wizards. Really poor concentration by them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I'm not sure <span>Emeka Okafor</span> in a post ISO is all that sustainable. What is sustainable: that the Wizards got the ball up the court and rotated it completely across the perimeter in eight seconds.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Oh man, I missed <span>A.J. Price</span> having no ability to run an offense.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Might want to sit a few plays out, Trevor Ariza. That pull-up jumper in transition with no rebounders was so bad, and the lucky bounce to A.J. Price that led to a Bradley Beal three doesn't excuse anything. And, oh yeah, the Durant thing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"> Price dribbled to the left side for some reason and launched a fallaway 12-footer from the corner, the exact kind of shot that totally screws up floor balance. Naturally, Kevin Martin got a dunk.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Great activity from <span>Jan Vesely</span> early. I like that they actually let him back down Kevin Durant. It boosted his confidence and got him an easy layup.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">There's not much you can do when Durant is throwing in all those crossovers. Those were incredible.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">You can't have live-ball turnovers against the Thunder. They're too good in the open floor and too quick to take advantage. If you're trying to push the pace on them, you better be damn well it's at the right moment. A frantic rush up the court off a made shot is not the right moment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Of course, just as Vesely did some nice things, his lack of rebounding and strength hurt him in a matchup against <span>Serge Ibaka</span>. Washington inverted so much of their help defense to Durant, and Vesely wasn't strong enough to recover and hold Ibaka off the offensive boards.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">One underrated skill of Beal's: the understanding of angles. On defense, he knew to close out between Ibaka from 16 feet and Martin in the corner so he could rush back and contest Martin's more efficient shot. On offense, he was flashing to the corner as Seraphin came to the middle, ready for a kick-out pass. He never got it because Seraphin got a close shot, but it pays to be ready.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Seraphin did a poor job holding his defensive rebounding position in the early stages of the second half. He also ran backwards as Russell Westbrook came at him instead of turning around.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The Wizards had a decent game plan to try to get the ball inside and make the game deliberate, but they could never string together enough efficient possessions to pull it off. For every nice Seraphin post move, there was also a possession where he got stuffed by Serge Ibaka and was pulled off the block. The problem is that the Thunder's offense is so fast to take advantage of live-ball turnovers, and those points add up.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Really enjoyed seeing the Wizards running for transition corner threes. That's the shot they will get all the time when Wall gets back. Webster hit all three of his, and it was nice to see the Wizards swing it around to set up those shots.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I almost feel like the Thunder got complacent with their half-court offense and just ran a bunch of Durant ISOs in that third quarter. It's almost like the Wizards lured them into a false sense of security. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Ariza has got to understand that he's out of rhythm. It's not like he <i>has</i> to shoot a certain number of shots in the limited minutes he's playing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">It's amazing how much different Beal looks now than he did a month ago. He was really aggressive coming off screens, and I loved the way he got into Westbrook when he guarded him in the third quarter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Weird Thunder lineup to start the fourth quarter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I've been critical of A.J. Price, but he did some good things in the fourth quarter. I liked his ball pressure, which is always solid, and I also liked when he dribble-probed to get a layup. Those plays are dangerous, but I don't mind my guards being aggressive when they go to the rim. The issue is when he fades to the corner or pulls up from mid-range.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The Wizards' defense really did a nice job early in the fourth quarter. The Thunder weren't running great offense, but the Wizards continue to ward off the paint really well. I don't think Durant or Westbrook had a lot of straight-line layups in the second half.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Amazing to see Seraphin aggressively attack the basket. The spin move on Ibaka that led to Vesely's putback was the kind of move we haven't seen in forever. Maybe Seraphin just needed to start and/or get a steady diet of post touches to keep him going.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The Wizards had a ton of offensive rebounds, which I attribute to Oklahoma City's own laziness. It's a risky strategy to go for so many offensive boards, but the Wizards got the good bounces and OKC never put a body on their guys. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Not wild about some of the late-game execution starting at the five-minute mark on down. We blamed <span>Jordan Crawford</span> for the offense breaking down on Friday, but <span>Garrett Temple</span> was just as bad running the offense for large stretches. The problem is that defenses really tighten up, and nobody on the team is able to consistently get open, whether it's off basic cuts or screens. When they don't get open, they give up.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Oof, unfortunate travel by Seraphin off the scramble play on the free-throw rebound. Webster and Temple did the right thing trying to take advantage of the chaos, but Seraphin couldn't finish. FACT: Wittman was not happy with the way Seraphin fought for post position on the previous play and had him jog all the way down to the Wizards' bench to tell him so. THEORY: Seraphin was mentally out of it because he was thinking about what Wittman told him.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">WELP, after a quarter of keeping Durant out of the lane, they let him throw down a thunderous slam with two minutes left.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">That Webster four-point play was so, so, so lucky, but I'll take it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">What is A.J. Price doing? He had Seraphin vs. Westbrook on a switch, and he couldn't get it there. Then, Sefolosha switched to Seraphin and Price didn't do anything to create a passing angle to get Seraphin the ball. Unbelievable. Then, on the ensuing possession, he broke a play to go one-on-one on a big and missed so, so badly. That was beyond horrible. You thought Crawford was bad on Friday. This was so much worse.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">FIJSDFJDSFODSOPJFDSIFPDSOPJFDSJOFOPJDSFJOPDS</span></li>
</ul>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3848628/bradley-beal-wizards-thunder-score-finalMike Prada2013-01-07T18:24:00-05:002013-01-07T18:24:00-05:00Discuss Thunder vs. Wizards here
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/StecGwEpb0qIoW_nvbSK-706yEU=/0x0:1100x733/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6214451/uspw_5909870.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Discuss the game here.</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 1em auto; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; width: 627px; color: #292929; line-height: 25.600000381469727px; text-align: start;"><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">2012/2013 NBA Regular Season</th></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><center><img src="http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/wizards_alt_logo_hand.gif" height="72" width="80" style="color: #292929; font-size: 11px; line-height: 25.600000381469727px; text-align: start; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 72px;"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">@</th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><center><img src="http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/6/2687/full/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif" height="72" width="80" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 72px;"></center></td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">January 7, 2013</strong></td></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><td align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><strong>American Airlines Arena</strong></td></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><td align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">7 p.m.</strong></td></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><td align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">CSN, 106.7 The Fan</strong></td></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">Projected Starting Lineups</strong></th></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span>Garrett Temple</span></span></td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">PG</span></th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Russell Westbrook</span></td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Bradley Beal</span></td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">SG</span></th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Thabo Sefolosha</span></td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Martell Webster</span></td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">SF</span></th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Kevin Durant</span></td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Emeka Okafor</span></td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">PF</span></th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span>Serge Ibaka</span></td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="color: #292929; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">??</span></td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">C</span></th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929;"><span>Kendrick Perkins</span></p></td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">2012/13 Advanced Stats</span></th></tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">91.2 (20th)</td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">Pace</th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">92.5 (8th)</td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">95.2 (30th)</td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">ORtg</th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">113.1 (1st)</td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"> <td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">104.1 (11th)</td> <th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">DRtg</th> <td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;">103.5 (9th)</td> </tr> <tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><th height="20" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px;"> <p>Also see: <a href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com">Welcome to Loud City</a> | <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3848484/wizards-vs-thunder-nba-2012">StoryStream</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2013/01/07/fastbreak010713webmov-2347598/index.html" style="text-align: start;">Fast Break</a></p> <a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20130106/WASMIA/gameinfo.html"></a> </th></tr> </tbody></table>
<p>WASHINGTON -- Just when some players get healthy, others get hurt. The good news: Trevor Ariza and A.J. Price will play limited minutes off the bench tonight, Randy Wittman said. The bad news: Nene, Jordan Crawford and Cartier Martin will all sit. Nene is out with what the Wizards are calling "right knee tendonitis," Crawford still has an injured ankle and Martin has a hyperextended knee.</p>
<p>John Wall also won't play tonight, but he did go pretty hard before the game without a brace. He definitely seems pretty close to coming back. </p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3848444/thunder-vs-wizards-game-time-tv-schedule-and-open-threadMike Prada2013-01-07T13:20:00-05:002013-01-07T13:20:00-05:00Meet the Thunder
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<figcaption>Kevin C. Cox</figcaption>
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<p>A night after facing the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards now have to gear up to face the Thunder at the Verizon Center.</p> <p>Tonight, the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> host the best team in the NBA as the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> come to town. Even after trading away <span>James Harden</span>, Oklahoma City keeps on rolling. <span>Kevin Martin</span> has been an ideal stopgap replacement for Harden while Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka have all improved their games this year. If you were hoping that the Thunder might have flaws the Wizards could expose in his absence, you're going to be disappointed tonight.</p>
<p>That said, there's always reasons for hope. After all, the Wizards did beat the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Heat</a> earlier this year. And let's not forget, the Wizards beat OKC last season with Harden still on the squad, <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/washington-wizards/2012/1/19/2717737/thunder-vs-wizards-javale-mcgee-kevin-durant">thanks to Flip Saunders and the late Tupac Shakur</a>, so anything could happen tonight.</p>
<p><b>Where, When, and What Channel:</b> The game will start at 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center. You can watch it on Comcast SportsNet.</p>
<p><b>Why You Should Care: </b><span>Kevin Durant</span> is in town. Even if you're not a Wizards fan (and you probably are since you're reading this) you should care.</p>
<p><b>Remember when the Thunder were awful?</b> We do. Kinda weird how one team has made the NBA Finals since then and the other team hasn't won more than 26 games.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OBns0i9Qbbk" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br id="1357581272293"></p>
<p><b>What They Do Well: </b>As you'd probably expect, the Thunder are the best team in the NBA in offensive efficiency. Even without Harden, they're still getting by because Durant is still Durant, and the rest of the team is getting the job done as well. The only player on the Thunder that gets somewhat regular minutes that's shooting under 40 percent this season is <span>Eric Maynor</span> (the Wizards, by contrast, have seven such players). They shoot well, and they get to the line even better. So even when their shot isn't falling (which could happen tonight as the Thunder slog through the second-half of a East Coast back-to back) they can still get easy points at the free throw line.</p>
<p><b>What They Do Poorly: </b>There's only one glaring flaw with Oklahoma City, and it's turnovers. They sport the highest turnover rate in the NBA, and lead in that area by a comfortable margin. Honestly, a lot of it can be attributed to their proficient offense. They're so good at generating scoring opportunities that it leads to more chances for the defense to create turnovers. Tonight's a night where it might not be a bad idea for the Wizards to just go after the ball with reckless abandon. The Thunder are going to make shots regardless of what defense they're facing. Might as well try to limit the number of possessions they have to score.</p>
<p><b>Is Kevin Durant depressed about the Redskins?</b> Yes he is.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<p>Damn im hurtin but proud of the skins always fool RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/bmoe_careful">bmoe_careful</a>: u good @<a href="https://twitter.com/kdtrey5">kdtrey5</a> ?</p>
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a data-datetime="2013-01-07T00:22:33+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/288078132681007104">January 7, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p><b>How the Wizards Match Up With Them: </b>Even once you strip away the rampant talent disadvatages here, the Thunder post major stylistic challenges for the Wizards. The Wizards have been at their best against teams who don't get to the line much (every team the Wizards have beaten except the Heat are in the bottom third in the league in free throw rate). When they can keep a team off the line, their defense is sound enough to keep them competitive. They won't be able to do that against guys like Durant, Westbrook and Martin. Plus, the Thunder are going to push the pace, which doesn't suit the Wizards' strengths either. While you always want to remain hopeful, tonight's game does not shape up well at all.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/7/3832644/washington-wizards-oklahoma-city-thunder-preview-january-7-2013Jake Whitacre