Wizards 101
Pistons 87
January 21, 2019 | Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C.
The Washington Wizards earned a convincing win over the Detroit Pistons on a Martin Luther King Day matinee Monday at Capital One Arena. Off the heels of a crazy win over the New York Knicks in London, the team dominated the Pistons defensively and had seven players finish in double figures, including all five starters. Once again, the Wizards won the battle of the boards 45-40, improving their record to 11-0 when they outrebound the other team. The win is the Wizards fourth in their last five games and seventh of their last 10. Washington is now 20-26 on the season and tied for the No. 9 seed in the East. The Wizards are playing their best brand of basketball this season after owner Ted Leonsis set the record that he would not be tanking.
The Wizards got off to a strong start in the first quarter by going hard in the paint, literally. 22 of the Wizards 29 first-quarter points came from inside and they outscored Detroit 22-6 in that category. All five players in the starting lineup finished with at least four points. Bradley Beal paced the starters with five points while Otto Porter had six coming off the bench. The Wizards also won the rebounding battle 13-11. The Wizards led the Pistons 29-17 after one.
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The Wizards continued to roll in the second quarter with a big 28-13 run to put them up by 17 with 5:30 to go in the second quarter. That run started in the first quarter with a Trevor Ariza step-back jumper before Tomas Satoranksy and Otto Porter had back-to-back and-ones. Sam Dekker then made a great move driving to the hoop, faking a pass to Beal posted at the corner with his right hand before using that same hand to finish for the layup.
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On the defensive end, the Wizards held the Pistons to 17 points in both the first and second quarters. The Pistons’ 34 first-half points marked the fewest points the Wizards have allowed in a half this season after giving up just 38 in the second half in London against the Knicks. Detroit shot a poor 6-of-21 in the second quarter and 30 percent in the entire first half, including 2-of-15 from three and nine turnovers. The Wizards dominated on the defensive glass with 13 rebounds in the frame to take a 50-34 lead into the locker room.
“It’s just effort. It’s just being locked in, locked into the game plan,” said Bradley Beal. “For the most part, we did a good job of taking our reactions away, making it difficult for them.”
The Pistons had a much better second half, outscoring the Wizards 53-51 but the home team was able to keep their lead afloat. Trevor Ariza and Otto Porter each had solid second halves with 10 and 11 points, respectively.
Ariza finished with 20 points, leading the Wizards in scoring on 7-of-13 shooting, 2-of-5 from three and hit all four of his free throws. Additionally, Ariza led on the boards, finishing with his second double-double in his last three games with 12 rebounds.
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Beal finished with 16 points through three quarters before an extended fourth-quarter rest. Jeff Green and Thomas Bryant each had 11 points with Bryant also adding 12 rebounds. Tomas Satoranksy added nine points and eight assists, highlighted by a couple of spin-o-ramas, although that was just one of a couple occasions that he attacked the rim flawlessly.
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Otto Porter continues to play aggressively off the bench with 19 points. After a slump at the beginning of the season, Porter is now returning to form with 7-of-15 shooting and made four of the six three-pointers he took.
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The Wizards have played on MLK Day for the last 20 seasons. Since the 2010-11 season, the Wizards have played at home on the Monday every year except once (Jan. 21, 2013 at Portland) and have posted a 6-3 record in those games. It is a day that means a lot to many in the Washington locker room.
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Beal became a dad before the start of the season so he’s looking forward to the day he gets to educate his son, Bradley Beal II aka Deuce, about the difference and the impact that Martin Luther King Jr. had on the civil rights movement.
“I’m looking forward to it, honestly. It’s something I embrace every single day,” Beal said. “It’s a challenge as well, being as young as I am and how the world constantly changes and adapts. The difference in how I grew up will be totally different than how he grows up. I’m definitely excited about it. I’m happy to be a dad, I’m happy I get to instill my own morals and values into him.”
The suddenly hot Wizards will face the ultimate test and measuring stick on Thursday night by hosting the defending back-to-back NBA champion Golden State Warriors on TNT.
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