Washington Wizards News: Bradley Beal and Co. beat the Detroit Pistons to get the second win of the season
The Washington Wizards bounced back from their dreadful loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday to beat the Detroit Pistons 115-99 in the NBA. This was certainly a must-win game for the Wizards, as the Pistons were without forward Blake Griffin and guard Derrick Rose.
Washington led during all four quarters, after a 20+ point loss against the Timberwolves with their All-Star player Karl-Anthony Towns. It would have certainly been an issue if the Wizards did not win over a depleted Pistons team. With that being said, here is an analysis of Monday night's game.
Hachimura is back
Everyone but shooting guard Bradley Beal had an off day against the Timberwolves, rookie Rui Hachimura was the same. However, he came back well against the Pistons, scoring 10 points in the first quarter alone, totaling 12 points in the 16 minutes he played. Hachimura went 5-7 FG and 1-2 3PT. Head coach Scott Brooks probably made him play fewer minutes due to the number of big men that are in the Pistons' squad. Hachimura should be back to full starter minutes against the Indiana Pacers.
CJ Miles does well on debut
Small forward CJ Miles made his debut against the Pistons, after an offseason surgery. Miles came off the bench, playing 19 minutes and scoring 12 points, going 3-8 FG, 5-5 FT, and 1-5 3PT. Brooks will probably inculcate Miles into the rotation before putting him into the starting lineup as he was projected to be in the starting five when he arrived to the team. For now, he will share minutes with Troy Brown Jr. and Isaac Bonga, who is currently the starting small forward.
Isaiah Thomas starts at point guard
Fans were waiting for the day when point guard Isaiah Thomas will enter the starting lineup. Thomas was nursing a few injuries before debuting against the San Antonio Spurs. Previously, Ish Smith was starting at point guard. He scored nine points with two rebounds and six assists, going 4-12 FG and 1-5 3PT. He played 24 minutes and was certainly off his game but a mismatch with the Pistons' big men is what contributed to these stats in all probability. With Thomas in the starting lineup, he will certainly add to the scoring.
What's next?
The Wizards head to Indiana to play against the Pacers on Wednesday. Tune-in at 7:00 PM ET.