NBA 2019-20: Washington Wizards lose to Atlanta Hawks in high-scoring game
The Washington Wizards lost 133-152 to the Atlanta Hawks in a high scoring game, on the day of news breaking out that NBA legend Kobe Bryant had passed away.
It was certainly an occasion filled with emotions for coaches, players, and fans, as the game started out with a 24-second shot-clock violation to honor Bryant. All-Star Trae Young wore the number 8 on his jersey to begin the game as well, which was certainly a respectable move by the young man.
Considering how Bryant was a huge mentor for Young, it was expected that Young would be on fire in this game. Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal was also seen in distraught on the sidelines, who also had a good game for himself. With that being said, here is an analysis of Sunday night's loss for the Wizards.
Beal drops 40 points
As stated earlier, Bradley Beal was seen on the sidelines as very emotional, which is nothing to be surprised about. Not a single soul in the NBA community would've thought about the possibility of such a tragedy.
Nonetheless, Beal made his statement in Kobe's honor, scoring 40 points against the Hawks. He went 12-22 from the field, 15-18 from the free throw line, and 1-5 from downtown. He wasn't exactly efficient and scored about a third of his points from free throws, but he showed that he is back from injury. Unfortunately, he could not help much on the defensive side of the game and Wizards continue to be last in opposition points allowed per game.
Troy Brown Jr. comes off the bench and scores 19 points
Troy Brown Jr. came off the bench as usual tonight, except getting 32 minutes of play and scoring 19 points. He went 7-11 from the field 3-4 from beyond the arc. He certainly has solidified himself as a reliable source for points off the bench, but head coach Scott Brooks does not always give him the right minutes.
Nonetheless, watching this kid out on the court certainly shows he could become for the Wizards. With Isaac Bonga injured, it could open more minutes for him or Davis Bertans, depending upon how severe the injury is to Bonga.
What's next?
The Wizards continue their road-trip and will fly to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Tuesday. Tune in at 8 PM ET.