Washington Wizards News: Team gets first win of the season | NBA 2019/20
The Washington Wizards won their first game of the NBA 2019-20 season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, beating them 97-85 at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday night.
It wasn't a comeback game for the Wizards as they held a lead through the third quarter of the game. Things changed a bit during the fourth quarter with the Thunder trying to bounce back, but the Wizards fought enough to keep a lead and win a game on their 3 road-game trip. Here is an analysis of the game that led to the Wizards' victory.
Thomas Bryant led the team in points, Beal scores 17
Young center Thomas Bryant was a big part of the win against the Thunder, scoring 21 points and getting 11 rebounds. In total, Bryant went 9-16 FG, 3-7 3PT, with two steals, three blocks and two assists. Even with the big-man veteran center Steven Adams all over him during the game, Bryant was still able to produce well and shows a good sign of his development.
All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal, on the other hand, didn't bounce back from his somewhat rough game against the Dallas Mavericks. Beal went 7-22 FG and was 3-11 3PT, producing 17 points with six rebounds and three assists. Hopefully, Beal can improve as the season continues.
Rui Hachimura continues to produce
The rookie Rui Hachimura did well in the second game of his NBA career, showing great promise for the future ahead. After a spectacular opening game against the Mavericks on Wednesday night, power forward Rui Hachimura scored 19 points, was 8-20 FG, 3-3 FT, with one steal, two assists, and five rebounds. While his shooting percentage wasn't the best, it was enough for him to be the second highest scorer for the team, even though it was not an exactly high scoring game.
Gilgeous-Alexander was an issue for the Wizards
Newly acquired Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a handful for the Wizards to guard as he scored 28 points in the game, which was a career high for him. He went 10-17 FG, 6-8 FT, and 2-4 3PT. Gilgeous-Alexander is certainly an underrated player in the league right now and should be someone to watch for as the season goes on.
Bench players still a work-in-progress
It will take some time for their new crop of bench players to get use to their roles and their fit in the team, as we saw in the first game against the Mavericks. Davis Bertans and Moritz Wagner led the bench team, with Bertans producing 13 points and Wagner producing 10. Point guard Chris Chiozza continues to have major issues but somehow gets minutes. This will probably change once Isaiah Thomas is back and could reduce Chiozza's minutes since they have Ish Smith currently in the starting lineup.
What's Next?
The Wizards play the San Antonio Spurs as their last road-game before heading home. Tip-off is at 8:30 PM ET.