Wizards 149
Suns 146
December 22, 2018 | Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C.
Yes, you read that score correctly. The Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns combined for 24 leads changes and 26 ties during a triple-overtime bout hours before each had to play on the second leg of a back-to-back. The two teams were tied at halftime, tied after four quarters, and tied after two overtime sessions. Many of the fans in the stands were able to get very cheap tickets for Saturday’s game and they got more than their money’s worth. For the home team, there was one likely and one unlikely hero for the squad.
Exactly a week after the Wizards and Suns had agreed in principle to trade Kelly Oubre and Austin Rivers for Trevor Ariza, the two teams faced off for the first of two matchups this season. Rivers was waived by the Suns who are full sending the tank job, but they had won four in a row since letting Ariza go from the team. Oubre’s return to the only arena he has ever played his home games in was a bit emotional for the 23-year old, but he remained confident as ever.
“It was definitely different,” Oubre explained about arriving at Capital One Arena as a visitor. “It was weird walking past the locker room to come over to this side. It was different for me. I was just taking it moment by moment. I did not really let it get to me too much.”
The former Wizards was showered with love when he checked into the game midway through the first quarter, which he was quite appreciative of. The forward finished with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting including 3-of-8 from deep to go along with five rebounds in 42 minutes of play.
“It is love, man,” Oubre said about the standing ovation he received from the D.C. faithful. “Love everybody in D.C, who genuinely rooted for me to succeed and I appreciate the love. You cannot really ask for anything more than that. That is kind of a moment that I will cherish forever and I will remember that forever man so I appreciate that.”
Defensively, Oubre had a few shining moments going up against one of his veterans in Bradley Beal, but at the end of the day, it was the All-Star shooting guard who got the last laugh. With John Wall out with flu-like symptoms (that may have been the result of JaVale McGee returning ill last Sunday with the Lakers), Beal had more on his plate and he delivered with what I think may have been the best game of his career. In a career-high 54 minutes of play, Beal totaled his first career triple-double to the tune of 40 points on 17-of-33 shooting, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds.
“I was telling him, ‘bro, I didn’t know you was this hard to guard. I’m chasing you around all these screens, I’m getting hit every possession, but you’re still moving. I’m getting tired, you still moving,’” Oubre recollected his conversation. “Kudos to him. He’s an All-Star.”
“Shit was weird,” Beal began about facing Oubre. “‘Damn, he kind of knows all my moves. So it’s like what am I going to go to.’”
As well as Beal played offensively, what he was able to do on the other end of the court was more impressive to me. The 25-year old was often tasked with defending the 22-year old Devin Booker, one of the NBA’s best young players. Booker got his to the tune of 33 points and 14 assists, but Beal helped force him to 12-of-28 shooting including 2-of-12 from deep to go with four turnovers. In a game where Booker plays 55 minutes, holding him to those numbers is a pretty good job and Beal accepted the challenge put in front of him and excelled.
“Beal definitely took on the challenge tonight,” Trevor Ariza said. “Triple-double, doing everything and guarding the best player on their team. That’s tough. He’s grown a lot.”
“Nothing he does is really impressive [anymore]. He’s the ultimate scorer. … If you ask me, he should have had 20 assists and 20 rebounds. Shit, he was out there for 60 minutes,” Markieff Morris said about Beal. “[Booker] was taking breaks on defense by guarding the guy standing in the corner. Brad wasn’t doing that. Brad was picking him up full-court, guarding him and going in on the offensive end. That’s why he’s one of the best two-way players.”
Oubre and Beal provided entertaining basketball, but it was Thomas Bryant that stole the show on Saturday. The center became the fourth player in NBA history to make at least 14 field goals without missing a shot attempt joining Wilt Chamberlain, former Bullet Bailey Howell, and Gary Payton. Being in such a company, it is no surprise that Bryant set career-highs in points (31), rebounds (13), and minutes played (36). What was truly crazy is that Bryant may not have even had the opportunity to do what he did if Markieff Morris, who did finish with 20 points, does not foul out with 2:56 left in regulation. Scott Brooks has not shown that he trusts Bryant to finish games as typically he does not return to the floor after starting both halves. Washington was lucky that Morris took that decision out of Brooks’ hands because Bryant had a monster 18 points on 8-8 shooting in the three overtime sessions including 16 of the Wizards 23 points in the first two overtimes.
“MVP, by far,” Beal said about Bryant. “That’s my boy. He plays his tail off every minute. Energy, finishing at the room, rebounding, blocking shots, contesting shots, being up on pick-and-rolls, making it tough. He did everything we needed him to do. He’s still young, still makes mistakes, but he makes them at 110%, so we live with them. He had 30 [points], so everybody’s going to be quiet about it.”
“It’s amazing. I had no idea throughout the game and I had no idea after the game until people started telling me about it,” Bryant explained. “I was just in the flow of the game. I just let the game come to me. … I just went out and took it.”
The Wizards flew out to Indiana shortly after the conclusion of the Suns game as they face off against the Pacers on Sunday at 5 p.m. How much their significantly tired legs will impact the game will be interesting to monitor.
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