Bullets Forever - Wizards vs. Suns: Phoenix snaps Washington's six-game win streak"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2014-12-21T20:40:51-05:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/71954122014-12-21T20:40:51-05:002014-12-21T20:40:51-05:00Winning streak snapped; Wizards lose to Suns
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<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Six Suns' scored in double-digits as they beat the Wizards at the Phone Booth on Sunday night.</p> <p>On Sunday night against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a>, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> had a chance to win seven games in a row - and reach 20 wins faster than they ever had before - but the Suns' tough perimeter defense and scrappy guards had other plans in mind.</p>
<p>Six Suns' scored in double-digits - with <span>Eric Bledsoe</span> leading the way with 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists - as they beat the Wizards 104-92, halting their winning streak at six games.</p>
<p>For the Wizards, bench guys <span>Rasual Butler</span> and <span>Kevin Seraphin</span> led the way combining for 33 points and 11 rebounds. <span>John Wall</span> and <span>Bradley Beal</span> each had 14 points, but they also each had three turnovers a piece.</p>
<p>The Suns did things like this in the win:</p>
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<p>and this...</p>
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<p>Here's what else we saw:</p>
<h4>Missed free throws are a problem</h4>
<p>This stat line speaks for itself: 21-of-29 from the free throw line. The Wizards lost by 12. The math says that doesn't win them the game, but it gets them a hell of a lot closer considering the Suns tacked a few more points on in garbage time.</p>
<h4>Beal needs more looks from outside</h4>
<p>The Wizards two-guard finished with 14 points and just three of them of them came courtesy from a shot behind the arc. Beal attempted just two three-point shots in this game while the rest of the team shot 2-of-12 from outside. Beal is shooting just over 45% from outside this season and is second on the team in three-point shooting percentage, only trailing Rasual Butler.</p>
<h4>Assists; the Wizards need more of them</h4>
<p>John Wall had 8 assists tonight and... well, that was it for the starting lineup. Nene chipped in two and Butler had one as well, but no other starter registered a dime for the Wizards. Washington is averaging 25.7 assists per-game this year - good enough for third in the league coming into this game - and their mark of 11 tonight was well below that number.</p>
<p>Of course, the assist total wasn't all on the offense.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p>Easy to look at the assist numbers and conclude that the Wizards aren't sharing the ball enough, but the Suns defense is doing a great job.</p>
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) <a href="https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/546835197875220480">December 22, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/12/21/7432067/suns-shine-bright-beat-wizards-104-92-as-they-fall-short-of-franchiseMitchell Northam2014-12-21T15:38:34-05:002014-12-21T15:38:34-05:00Wizards look to make history vs. Suns
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<figcaption>Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Should the Washington Wizards beat the Phoenix Suns Sunday night, they will have reached 20 wins faster than ever before and be off to the best start in franchise history. A Christmas miracle!</p> <p>History could be made on Sunday night for the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Wizards</a>.</p>
<p>Should the squad take down the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> in the two teams' first meeting this season, the Wizards will reach 20 wins faster than ever before and be on pace for its winningest regular season in franchise history.</p>
<p>Plus, a 20-6 record plus a seven game winning streak sounds like a pretty good early Christmas present, doesn't it?</p>
<p>"We have an ultimate goal to reach the finals. We know how much harder we've got to work and what we've got to do," <span>John Wall</span> said after Friday's hard-fought win against the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Heat</a>, which helped them match the team's franchise-record 19-6 start from the 1974-75 season. History, We. Are. Ready.</p>
<p><b>Where and when?</b> Game time is 6 p.m. at the Verizon Center and if you didn't snag a ticket, you can watch on Comcast or listen to 99.1 FM.</p>
<p><b>Who's out?</b> MARTELL WEBSTER MAY BE MAKING HIS SEASON DEBUT, I REPEAT MARTELL WEBSTER (MAY BE) BACK. But besides that, Wizards' Paul Pierce remains day-to-day (even though he played Friday, because damn you sore toe!) and Suns' point guard <span>Goran Dragic</span> is also day-to-day with a strained back.</p>
<p><b>Are they good?</b> You see a 14-14 record and think no - but the Suns haven't been doing so bad lately. Currently on a two game winning streak highlighted by a win over the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Knicks</a> Saturday, they are 6-1 in road games against Eastern Conference teams this season. They have also won 11 of the last 15 games versus the Wizards, who are 1-7 in the last eight games hosting the Suns.</p>
<p><b>What has gone on in December?</b> *knock on wood* BUT, Washington hasn't lost a game since Dec. 7 at Boston aka the team is on fire aka they have won 10 of 11 games played this month. It's also important to keep in mind that they haven't lost at home since Nov. 25 against the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a>.</p>
<p><b>Any other history lessons?</b> Yes - John Wall and <span>Eric Bledsoe</span> are old University of Kentucky teammates. Both played together as Wildcats for one season (2009-10) before becoming first round NBA draft picks together: first and eighteenth, respectively.</p>
<p>Wizards' big man <span>Marcin Gortat</span> also has a bit of history in tonight's game - but with the Suns, who'd drafted him in the second-round of the 2005 NBA draft before sending him to Orlando. He made his NBA debut with the <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Magic</a> in the 2007-08 season. Gortat then went back and actually played for Suns beginning in the 2010-11 season until he was traded to the Wizards prior to the 2013 season.</p>
<p><b>Can you entice me a bit more to watch? </b>After winning in New York Saturday, <span>Isaiah Thomas</span> called their backcourt "the strength of our team." You know who else is the strength of the team? Washington's backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Who doesn't like a little backcourt duel?</p>
<p><b>Who's going to win?</b> The Wiz are on a roll this year. Honestly, they look friggen' good. As noted, the backcourt matchup will be one to watch - Dragic is averaging 16.0 ppg to Wall's 17.9 and Bledsoe's averaging 15.8 ppg compared to Beal's 15.1 - but so will defense.</p>
<p>The Suns may average 104.4 ppg, but they also allow an average of 103.5 ppg - the Wizards average 101.2 ppg but allow just 96.6 ppg. Rebounds will be the key to Washington winning this game - watch for the <span>Markieff Morris</span> vs Nene vs <span>Kris Humphries</span> rebounding matchup.</p>
<p><i>Wiz by 11. </i>Oh, and Happy Holidays!</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/12/21/7431151/wizards-vs-suns-preview-history-knocking-on-washingtons-doorKelly Cohen2014-12-20T08:04:06-05:002014-12-20T08:04:06-05:00Wake-Up Call: Wiz match best start in team history
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With last night's win, the Wizards won their first game in Miami since 2012, tied a franchise record for best start to a season, and are on a six-game winning streak. That, and more in today's Wake-Up Call.</p> <h3>1. <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> squeak out win in Miami</h3>
<p>They didn't move the ball the way we've grown accustomed to seeing from these Wizards, and they didn't defend with the hard-nosed tenacity that they've played with in recent weeks. But with 1:31 left in the game, <span>Paul Pierce's</span> tip-in gave Washington their first lead since the second quarter and they would hold on to beat the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Heat</a> for their sixth-straight win.</p>
<p>To the recaps!</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/12/19/7425889/wall-dishes-nene-swishes-in-105-103-win-over-miami-heat">Bullets Forever</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/fast-break-wizards-heat-late-win-over-miami">Comcast SportsNet</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards/surging-wizards-come-from-behind-late-against-shorthanded-heat/2014/12/19/fa261d68-87c8-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html">The Washington Post</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truthaboutit.net/2014/12/wizards-at-heat-game-25-twitter-storify.html">Truth About It</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://wizofawes.com/2014/12/19/washington-wizards-vs-miami-heat-john-wall-leads-best-start-franchise-history/">Wiz of Awes</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.wizardsxtra.com/2014/12/19/xtra-recap-wizards-extend-win-streak-to-six-in-south-beach">WizardsXTRA</a></p>
<h3>2. Pierce expects better</h3>
<p>As mentioned above, the Wizards didn't play the brand of basketball that has put them 13 games over .500 last night. They were lucky to squeak out the win and even luckier that Miami started missing shots late in the game, which allowed them to continually creep their way back into it.</p>
<p>Pierce knows how to distinguish bad basket from good basketball, and good basketball from great basketball. Therefore, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2014/12/20/wizards-beat-heat-but-paul-pierce-says-they-got-to-build-better-habits/">The Truth wasn't too happy with the team's performance last night</a>, despite the victory.</p>
<h3>3. A December to remember for Wall</h3>
<p>Over on NBA.com, Sekou Smith profiled Wall's December outburst and his climb in Smith's MVP race. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/sekou_smith/12/19/week-7-kia-race-to-the-mvp-john-wall-stands-out-for-washington-wizards/">He had Wall ranked no. 8 in the race</a>, after going unranked last week.</p>
<p>#Motivation</p>
<h3>4. One man brand man</h3>
<p>Back in Poland in late August, <span>Marcin Gortat</span> sat down for an interview with Polish magazine, <i>Champion</i>. Gortat spoke on Orlando, which has become his home away from home, his quick adaptation to America, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truthaboutit.net/2014/12/marcin-gortat-on-the-gortat-brand-and-100-ideas-per-hour.html">and his rapidly growing brand</a>.</p>
<h3>5. Hear from the team</h3>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/john-wall-postgame-12-19-14">John Wall</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/paul-pierce-postgame-12-19-14">Paul Pierce</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/randy-wittman-postgame-12-19-14">Randy Wittman</a></p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/12/20/7426515/washington-wizards-pull-out-105-103-heat-franchise-best-start-miami-john-wallRyan Gracia