In a fortnight in which the Detroit Pistons broke their historic 28-game losing streak, the Wizards were reminded of their close resemblance to Detroit in an X reply to a Kyle Kuzma tweet, reading “It’s not much better for the Wizards tbh.” Across ten games, the Wizards finished with a 3–7 record, bringing their total to 6–27. Here’s what happened in the last three weeks of Wizards basketball:
Pacers
Washington’s lone win in Week 8 came on Dec. 15 against the Indiana Pacers (14–12), ending their six-game losing streak and claiming their first win in the three-game season series against Indiana. Each team dominated a half, with the Pacers coming out of the gates fast, getting out to an early lead and having an 81.8% chance of victory at the start of the second quarter. However, the game soon flipped, and the Wizards began to dominate, gaining the lead with 8:04 left in the second quarter and never giving it back on their way to a 137–123 blowout victory.
Kyle Kuzma led Washington in scoring with 31 points alongside Jordan Poole, who scored 30 of his own. Corey Kispert had 27 points in the game while shooting 64.3% from the floor. Tyus Jones was also a key player in the Wizards’ victory as he recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Suns
Washington’s second game of the week on Dec. 17 against the Phoenix Suns (14–13) was also the first of their West Coast road trip. The contest marked the Wizards’ first game against their former All-Star guard Bradley Beal, although he did not play in the game due to a back injury. Washington controlled most of the game, holding the lead from the middle of the first quarter to the middle of the fourth. Unfortunately, the Wizards again failed to close the game out in the 112–108 defeat.
The overall team stats were close between the two squads, with the only noticeable difference being the Suns’ plus-ten rebound advantage. Daniel Gafford led Washington in points for the first time this season with 27, while Kuzma and Poole scored under 20 with poor shooting efficiency. D.C. Native Kevin Durant led his Phoenix Suns in scoring with 28 points, closely followed by Devin Booker with 27 points.
Kings
Washington’s final game of Week 8 came on Dec. 18 against the Sacramento Kings (14–9). The Wizards found themselves severely outmatched in the 143–131 loss. Their biggest lead of the game was a measly six points, and they failed to hold a lead at any point in the second half. The Kings out-assisted Washington by a total of 35 to 26 and beat them in the second-chance points battle 19 to 7.
Poole and Kuzma made up for their poor performances in the previous loss with 28 and 27 points respectively, in addition to shooting over 50% from the floor. Former Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox was Washington’s largest problem, scoring 30 points, though Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis were also significant threats, scoring 25 and 28 points respectively.
Trail Blazers
Contrary to the introduction of the column, Washington came out on top on Dec. 21 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Washington came out strong and dominated the first and most of the second half, though they allowed Portland to make a comeback with 3:28 remaining. Ultimately, the Wizards held on and achieved a 118–117 victory.
Kuzma had an incredible game in the triumph against the Trail Blazers, scoring 32 points on 50% shooting. Despite the loss, Trail Blazers Anfernee Simon’ had a strong game, scoring 41 points, with 22 coming in the final quarter. Center Deandre Ayton also put up a double-double for Portland with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Despite the result, the Blazers severely outrebounded the Wizards 51–37, with 20 offensive rebounds compared to Washington’s seven. The Wizards’ rebounding efforts continue to be subpar, as they rank last in the league in rebounds per game with 39.4.
Warriors
Washington’s West Coast road trip ended in San Francisco on Dec. 22 with a contest against the Golden State Warriors. The Wizards’ first of two contests against Golden State was Jordan Poole’s first matchup against his former team after being traded in the off-season. Poole would also be the Wizards leading scorer with 25 points on 7/21 shooting and 3/12 shooting from the 3-point line. However, they were rendered moot in the 129–118 defeat.
The Warriors are the better team on paper, and that showed in the win probability chart, as Washington was never favored at any point in the game. Golden State dominated in every facet, achieving a better overall field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage, all while having more rebounds and forced turnovers than the Wizards. Helping contribute to Golden State’s dominance was future hall of famer Steph Curry, who scored 30 points on 50% shooting.
Magic
Washington couldn’t get back on track in their return to Capital One Arena on Dec. 26 against the Orlando Magic. The Wizards fell 127–119 as they also near being swept across the season against Orlando, losing three of their four scheduled matchups. Jordan Poole led Washington in scoring for a second game in a row, with 30 points and a much more efficient shooting clip of 11/20 and 6/11 from downtown. Daniel Gafford also recorded a double-double with 13 points and rebounds.
Franz Wagner, the Magic’s leader in scoring in every game of the series so far, continued to be an issue for the Wizards’ defense. In this particular game, Wagner put up 28 points on 10/17 shooting. Reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchera and rookie Anthony Black scored over 20 points in Washington’s defeat. A rare win in the rebounding battle for the Wizards went by the wayside in the loss as Washington outrebounded Orlando 47–40.
Raptors
Washington’s game versus the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 27 is one they will try to forget quickly. Washington lost in a 129–118 blowout, in which every Raptors player had a positive plus/minus while every Wizards player had a negative plus/minus. Washington’s highest scorers were Kuzma and Poole, who both put up a measly 14 points on 6/13 and 5/12 shootings, respectively. Recent trade acquisition OJ Anunoby led the Raptors in scoring with 26 points on 11/16 shooting. Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes got double-doubles and joined Anunoby as Raptors, who scored at least 20 points. The Wizards were again heavily outrebounded 54–34. Their awful three-point shooting also hindered their efforts as Washington went 8/33 from behind the arc, which is an embarrassing 24.2% compared to the Raptors 39.5%.
Nets
Washington’s only win of Week 10 came against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 29. Despite yet another loss in the rebounding battle for the Wizards, with the Nets grabbing 11 more rebounds and 10 more offensive rebounds, Washington still prevailed in their 110–104 victory. The score was close throughout the match; the largest lead for either team was just nine points. The Wizards turned it on late and never surrendered the lead after the 5:39 mark in the final quarter, which is abnormal for the Wizards, who currently have one of the league’s worst offensive and defensive ratings in games in which the score is within five with five minutes left— also known as clutch time.
Kuzma again led the Wizards in scoring with 26 points on 50%, which is becoming routine for the forward as his season field goal percentage sits at 46.8%. Deni Avdija significantly contributed to Washington’s triumph over Brooklyn, as he had a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges was Brooklyn’s highest scorer with 19 points and just below 50% shooting.
Hawks
Washington’s last game of 2023 came on New Year’s Eve against the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards unfortunately didn’t get the best send-off to 2023, falling to Atlanta 130–126. Despite the loss, Kuzma scored a season-high 38 points while shooting under 50% at 15/31 from the field. Avdija again finished second in scoring while putting up a double-double. He finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds in his 2023 finale. Despite the close final score, the Wizards never held the lead in the second half as Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and Jalen Johnson all scored 20 points for Atlanta, with Young leading both teams in scoring with 40 points. Washington was again heavily outrebounded 58–42, and Washington also failed to capitalize on the Hawk’s poor 64.9 free throw percentage.
Cavaliers
Washington’s first matchup of 2024 came on Jan. 3 in Cleveland against the Cavaliers. The Wizards’ new year started similarly to the end of the previous, with a loss in blowout fashion 140–101. In an almost exact carbon copy of the Wizards’ Dec. 27 matchup against the Raptors, all Wizards except Anthony Gill had a negative plus/minus, and all Cavaliers except Damien Jones had a positive plus/minus. Kuzma was again Washington’s leading scorer, but his performance wasn’t as noteworthy as usual, as he only scored 16 points with three assists and two rebounds. Conversely, the Cavs had three players eclipse 20 points, with Max Strus, Donovan Mitchell and Caris Levert, with Levert getting his 21 points off the bench. The Wizards shot poorly in all facets, with their overall field goal, three-point and free throw percentages below 50%.
Week Eleven Preview
The eleventh week of Wizards basketball begins with their second consecutive road matchup with the Cavaliers on Jan 5. Then Washington returns home for games against the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 6 and Jan. 8. Finally, the Wizards end the week on the road on Jan. 10 for their third and final matchup of the season against the Indiana Pacers. Washington is in for another tough week as they yet again play face teams who are all currently in a playoff or play-in spot.
