Washington Wizards News: Wizards lose horribly to Karl-Anthony Towns-less Timberwolves
The Washington Wizards lost 131-109 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
It was an unfortunate scene for fans at Capital One Arena, as big man and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns did not play, due to a suspension from an altercation with Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid. Even without the big man, the Wizards lost big time. They did not lead during the game at any point in the game. There was clear, sloppy play by almost everyone on the court and a slow tempo from the team. With that being said, here is an analysis of the dreadful loss.
Beal leads in scoring for Wizards
Shooting guard Bradley Beal was the only player in the starting team to score in double digits. Beal scored 30 points and went 8-19 FG, 11-13 FT, and 3-8 3PT. He had 0 rebounds and just 1 assist. It is also shocking to know that Beal played just 28 minutes, whereas Beal has been averaging 36.25 minutes in the last 3 games before Saturday. This was likely because of the Wizard's large deficit but was able to still score 30 points for the team. Either way, Beal will continue to produce regardless of a deficit or not.
Hachimura doesn't produce
The young rookie's hot streak came to an end, as Rui Hachimura scored just 4 points in 22 minutes of playing time. He has 2 rebounds and 0 assists, while going 2-11 FG, 0-0 FT, and 0-2 3PT. Just like Beal, this was the lowest number of minutes Hachimura played since the season started. It seems like it was an off day for everyone on the Wizards team.
No KAT, no problem for the Wolves
Even without KAT, the Wolves couldn't be stopped. Forward Robert Covington, center Gorgui Dieng, guard Andrew Wiggins, and guard Jeff Teague all scored in double digits. This was due to a lack of any defense being played by the Wizards. It's unclear what happened tonight to the team, but it shouldn't have meant that they allow 4 separate played to score in double digits.
What's next?
The Wizards will look to bounce back against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Tune-in at 7:00 PM ET.