NBA 2019-20: Bradley Beal leads Wizards to win over the Mavericks
The Washington Wizards triumphed over the Dallas Mavericks 119-118 in a nail-biting game in the NBA. Bradley Beal closed out the game tonight, with just 0.2 left he received the inbound pass leading to a rebound by the snubbed All-Star guard. The crowd and Wizards players went crazy after the shot.
It was a great all-around game from the Wizards. While the Mavericks did not have All-Star Luka Doncic, it does not come as a surprise that the Wizards made this a close scoring game. Newcomer Shabazz Napier made a huge first-impression for the team, who is our honorable mention tonight. Napier scored 14 points off the bench and had 2 steals with 1 block, showing his defensive stance on the court. He will certainly see plenty of more playing time as the games go on. With that being said, here is an analysis of Friday night's win.
Beal scores 29 points with game-winning layup
As stated earlier, Beal closed the game tonight, as he has done several times in the past when needed. Besides his game-winning layup, Beal scored 29 points tonight. He went 11-28 FG, 4-5 FT, and 3-10 3PT. He also added 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Fans around the NBA continue to wonder why Beal was not named to the NBA All-Star despite his performances this season. Nonetheless, Beal is making a statement for the whole league to see. If Doncic is unable to play in the All-Star, it's quite possible that Beal could enter the All-Star in place for him.
Bertans scores 20 after trade deadline rumors
Latvian Davis Bertans dropped 20 points on the Mavericks tonight, after a few rumors reported that Bertans was in a possible trade package with the Boston Celtics. In the end however, Bertans was not traded and was retained by the Wizards, which was originally the plan for general manager Tommy Sheppard. Bertans scored 20 points, going 6-12 FG, 3-4 FT, and 5-9 3PT.
Ideal for them, the Wizards will manage to re-sign Bertans in the offseason. They cannot do so until free-agency opens in the summer, as his contract was structured that way. If they are unable to, it will certainly hurt the team as Bertans has been a big offensive factor for the Wizards.
What's next?
The Memphis Grizzlies will visit the Wizards on Sunday. Tune-in at 6 PM ET.