The Washington Wizards locker room was uncharacteristically quiet and empty on Friday night following their first matchup of a back-to-back against the Charlotte Hornets. It was another divisional game the Wizards needed to win to help them inch up in the eastern conference standings and keep their playoff hopes alive. However, a slow start and 16 turnovers (8 for 27 points in the first quarter) resulted in a 116-110 loss. It looked like the Wizards were going to make a late comeback in the fourth quarter when they trimmed the lead to six but a lack of defensive stops cut it short. The nearly empty locker room after the game made it very evident that Wizards players were beyond disappointed with the outcome.
Bradley Beal turned in a stellar 40-point performance which should have been enough to put his team in a position to win. Ultimately it didn’t matter because his supporting cast could not keep up with his pace. Jeff Green’s offensive effort did contribute 20 points along with Jabari Parker’s 17 points. For the Hornets, Kemba Walker finished with 28 points followed by Jeremy Lamb (18 points) and Tony Parker (16 points). The Wizards are 2-11 on the first night of a back-to-back.
WATCH: More about #Wizards loss to the #Hornets. ⬇️ https://t.co/boKP3viYQ0
— Sports Journey – 2L Media Group (@SportsJourney) March 16, 2019
On Saturday night, the Wizards had no choice but to put the tough loss behind them and look ahead to the Memphis Grizzlies. Once again, it was the Bradley Beal show but this time, his teammates rallied behind him. Jabari Parker scored 20 points off the bench (12 rebounds) followed by Bobby Portis (18), Jeff Green (15), and Tomas Satoransky (15) which helped lift the Wizards over the Grizzlies 135-128.
Beal was phenomenal, churning out another 40-point performance (seven assists, five rebounds) and adding a career-high nine three-pointers to continue his push for All-NBA honors. His career-high in three-pointers was just short of the franchise record of 10 held by this teammate Trevor Ariza. Over the last 20 years, only two Wizards players have 40 or more points in consecutive games: Michael Jordan and Gilbert Arenas.
Beal with the DC3. He continues to ball out per usual. Sometimes he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for stepping up as the leader of this team. #Wizards #DCFamily #WizGrizzlies
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) March 17, 2019
The Wizards played the Grizzlies close the entire game with no one having more than a six-point lead. Down the stretch, defense paid off. When the Wizards play defense, they win games and that was the difference between Friday and Saturday. Needless to say, the locker room was a lot more full and jovial on Saturday night.
Asked Bobby Portis about the character of the #Wizards bouncing back after a disappointing loss last night: “Real tough. We’re still fighting for something.” #WizGrizz #DCFamily @BPortistime pic.twitter.com/Pdt4q6090z
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) March 17, 2019
Beal on the Grizzlies win, not counting themselves out of the playoffs, and his career-high three-pointers: “Granted, I’ve been playing well lately but wins are the only thing that matters. Doesn’t mean hella beans to me if we don’t have a W at the end of it.” #Wizards #DCFamily pic.twitter.com/4bFDCGaqko
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) March 17, 2019
The Wizards return home on Monday in their first matchup of the season against the Utah Jazz at 7 p.m.