Wizards fall to Warriors on MLK Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON – The Washington Wizards lost to the Golden State Warriors 127-118 at Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Capital One Arena. Here are five takeaways from what happened…
Curry and Poole too much
Both teams had lost four of their last five games with each missing star guards. But the Golden State Warriors had Stephen Curry and he proved to be the difference in Monday’s matinee at Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Curry delivered several timely strikes during the fourth quarter as he and backcourt running mate Jordan Poole teamed to relieve the Wizards from long range. They teamed up for 13 three-pointers, with Curry scoring 41 and Poole scoring 32. Klay Thompson didn’t play, but the Warriors had enough firepower to drive away at the end.
Golden State shot 18-for-44 from 3-point range, good enough for 40.9%. Washington shot a very good 14-for-35 (40%), but was outscored. That’s the Warriors for you.
With the loss, the Wizards have now dropped five of their last six games. They are 18-26 on the year with six of their next seven games on the road.
Porzingis was hot
The Warriors have a relatively small team, especially at the moment with James Wiseman injured, but of course also known for using small ball with Draymond Green low. With a lot of size in their frontcourt, the Wizards naturally tried to make an advantage for themselves by feeding Kristaps Porzingis early and often. It worked, as Porzingis immediately caught fire with 15 points in the first quarter and 25 at half-time.
That was Porzingis’ second-most goal in a single half since joining the Wizards, second only to the career-high 29 he dropped at home to the Timberwolves earlier in the season. Like that game in Minnesota, he slowed down in the second half as the Wizards started to get others involved. Porzingis finished with 32 points in 37 minutes, shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 3-for-7 from long range.
Hachimura bounced back
Rui Hachimura went through a bit of a slump before this match, with five consecutive appearances below his usual standards at the attacking end. He was much better on Monday, losing 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting, including 2-for-3 out of three. His contributions were crucial as the Wizards were looking for someone early in the game to give them a lift behind Porzingis.
Hachimura made a few shots that he missed lately, but he was also rewarded for running across the floor in transition and moving without the ball on the perimeter. He regularly seemed to be in the right place at the right time as his teammates dribbled onto the track and looked out for a shooter. The Wizards are a better team when Hachimura attacks them from the bench. Even with this loss, they are 6-3 if he scores at least 15 points.
Wright took a fall
It’s pretty common knowledge by now that Delon Wright is a key player for the Wizards this season. While he’s done a good job running their offense, most of his value is in his defense, in part because he hasn’t shot particularly well so far this year. He came into this game and shot career lows both from the field (39.1%) and from three (21.9%).
Wright said after Sunday’s practice he is still looking for an offensive rhythm, now 11 games back from his hamstring rehab. He may have made a notable step forward in this game, as Wright had nine points on 3-for-5 shooting in 28 minutes, along with seven assists. Wright has never been a great scorer, but he averaged 10.2 points per game two seasons ago and can usually score fairly efficiently in low volume.
Morris back, Beal still out
The Wizards got one of their starting guards back for this one, as Monte Morris returned after a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury. Bradley Beal, who also has a hamstring injury, was out for the fifth game in a row. He has been given permission to practice, but not to play matches yet. Considering the Wizards faced Curry and Poole, two savvy guards who run their defenders down the field, it made sense to play it safe with Beal given the nature of his injury.
Morris put up really good numbers with 17 points and 10 assists for the game. He was, of course, also part of a Wizards defense in which Curry and Poole scored a combined 73 runs. The wizards went by a commission to guard Curry, sometimes deploying Corey Kispert or Deni Avdija even when Morris was on the floor. Perhaps that was a matter of giving Morris’ hamstring a little break, or simply an all-hands-on-deck approach to limit one of the greatest goal scorers in NBA history.
