Washington Wizards Three Takeaways: Wizards Beat Clippers, Win Fifth Straight At Home
Washington Wizards beat the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Sunday afternoon, picking up their fifth straight victory at Verizon Center.
The quality of opponents beaten is usually a solid indicator of a team’s competitiveness.
This season, the Washington Wizards have struggled to beat winning teams – or any team, for that matter.
Washington hasn’t found their identity and Scott Brooks‘ second unit has been the worst in the league.
But lately, the Wizards have shown signs of life.
On Sunday afternoon, the Wizards were tasked with beating the Los Angeles Clippers – a top Western Conference club – in D.C. Even though the Wizards had won four straight games at home prior to Sunday’s match up, they’ve yet to get a signature win, so to speak.
After a back-and-forth affair, the Wizards – led by their backcourt – were able to separate themselves in the final moments of the game, 117-110.
Keef stepped up, big time
The Clippers have dominated the Wizards over the past several years, due to Washington’s inability to defend their frontcourt.
Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are unmatched physically and the Wizards had no one on their roster to stop the duo.
While Markieff Morris isn’t an All-Star, he’s one of the team’s best defenders, primarily because he’s willing to use his body inside.
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Morris, in many respects, is the heart of the team. He’s the only player who constantly steps up to the challenge, even if the result isn’t satisfactory.
Griffin has become a perennial MVP candidate, but Morris didn’t back down.
Instead, he accepted the assignment and went at Griffin, knocking down key shots late in the fourth quarter to secure the win for Washington.
Morris finished the game with 23 points and 9 rebounds.
Without his clutch shooting, the Wizards wouldn’t have been able to come away with the win on Sunday.
Beal explodes in the third
Bradley Beal is an All-Star. Even if he gets snubbed this season, it’s apparent that that he’s taken his game to another level this season.
Last year, Beal had a tendency to try to do too much, almost as if he wanted to prove he’s more than just a 3-point shooter. It got him in trouble as he’d often turn the ball over while trying to create off the dribble.
But after a summer of work, Beal has improved his handle enough to become a threat from everywhere on the floor.
He scored 18 points in the third quarter on Sunday, helping the Wizards cut a double-digit lead. He made 6 of his 10 attempts from deep, totaling 41 points for the game.
Wizards embrace ‘next man up’ mentality
Brooks didn’t have the services of neither Kelly Oubre nor Jason Smith on Sunday, but the team didn’t complain.
Daniel Ochefu, an undrafted rookie, hasn’t gotten any real playing time this season, but was thrust into the rotation. Despite giving up a few easy baskets to Jordan, Ochefu battled inside. Trey Burke and Marcus Thornton made a combined 5 of their 7 shot attempts off the bench.
The Washington Wizards don’t have much depth, but they do have players who are willing to compete, for what it’s worth. Having to play rookies isn’t ideal, but Brooks has clearly done his best to make sure his guys are ready.
Washington won’t have much time to rest as they’ll take on the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
