Three Days of DC: Wizards kick us off!!! (Free)
Marcus “Mook” Washington will spend the next three days covering the Washington Wizards, George Washington Colonials and Georgetown Hoyas.
NBA All-Star break is finally over and, phew, I couldn’t be happier.
Hopefully we’ve finally gotten past talking about how horrible the game was.
Yes, the game was bad BUT it isn’t the indictment on the league that people are making it out to be.
It was a bad exhibition game… get over it.
Plus, it was in Salt Lake City… there wasn’t a better place for the league to have a bad game.
Enough of that…
I’m back on my NBA hustle with New York vs. Washington.
Had a chance to as Tom Thibodeau a couple of questions in the pregame availability.
1st Quarter:
Both teams have come out hitting circus shots. Daniel Gafford got a goofy three-point play when he, literally, bumped into Mitchell Robinson and tossed the ball up over his for the three-point play.
A couple of trips later, Robinson caught an oop and dunked it on Gafford’s head. Woo-doggy.
It wasn’t all good.
RJ Barrett got a nice steal in the halfcourt and hit Quentin Grimes on a tasty bounce pass only for Grimes to miss the dunk.
Oye.
Early on, Julius Randle still thinks he’s in the three-point contest. All four of his official attempts have come from the three-point line. He’s made two.
Score Update: Washington 16 New York 16
The refs are getting in the act. Robinson obviously was guilty of goaltending. I mean… it wasn’t debatable. The refs hit him, and the Wizards bench with a full-blown play on.
I had RJ Barrett at over 25.5 points-rebounds-assists. I’m telling you, that couldn’t have gotten off to a worst start.
Over the last couple of seasons, it’s amazed me how often Jalen Brunson gets to his spot. It isn’t like Brunson is extremely quick and/or athletic yet if he wants that real estate, he gets it. I wonder if that’s a Villanova thing or did he get that in the NBA?
Back to the game.
Julius Randle continues to do Julius Randle things. This one was over the head, I know I shouldn’t be taking this shot attempt… and he made it.
As a coach, please don’t let your children watch that nonsense. If they saw it, make sure they know to never, eeeevvveeerrr do that in real life.
The first quarter has ended. Washington 38 New York 27
2nd Quarter
The second quarter has already seen an RJ Barrett layup that hit the bottom of the rim, a vicious corner three-pointer airball by Kendrick Nunn, and a Taj Gibson missed layup on a fast break.
I came to an NBA game and a BRYC game broke out.
Both teams are battling with four bench guys and a starter. Kuzma is in with the Wizards bench while Barrett (and now Brunson) has the assignment for New York.
I love Josh Hart but it kills me when any Knick wears the number three. That number should’ve been retired when John Starks left New York. Have I ever told you that Bernard King made me a Knicks fan but Starks is my favorite Knick ever?
Score Update: Washington 52 New York 36
Knicks are on a 10-0 run after some Brunson magic. Gotham’s Finest has to the deficit to nine.
The Wizards are going through a bad stretch here. Nothing falling. Poor decisions. The Knicks determination to get paint touches has changed the tenor of the game.
The Knicks close out the second quarter on a 22-7 run.
Halftime: Washington 64 New York 60
3rd Quarter
The Knicks open up the quarter with back-to-back three’s (Randle and Barrett) and now have the lead 66-64.
Washington is looking like a hot mess. Turnovers. Missed shots. Bad shots. Tequila shots. You name it, they’ve done it (except for the tequila shots).
The Wizards put together back-to-back good possessions and after a Monte Morris 3, the Knicks use a timeout.
Score Update: Washington 69 New York 68
Brunson is going to work y’all. He’s been deferring to the hot hand which so happens to be Randle at this moment. Ol’ number 30 is 12-18 from the floor and we aren’t even at the midpoint of the third quarter.
Washington is on a 14-2 run. Monte Morris was doing some heavy lifting during that run.
Immanuel Quickley knocks down the three and Deni Avdija misses one at the buzzer. We have a tight one going into the fourth.
Washington 88 New York 89
4th Quarter
Both teams open up with runs that let you know that they don’t want this game decided by defensive stops.
It’s all about offensive buckets and misses (at least for now). I find it hard to believe that Thibs will let this lack of defense nonsense go on for 12 minutes.
And just like that… the Knicks force a shot clock violation:
Score update: Washington 93 New York 97 (7:42)
No matter the level, closing out under control is a must. The foul committed by Quickley was caused by running out on the shooter like a seven-year-old.
Another three-pointer by Randle and he’s up to 44 points. He’s hit some heat-check shots that aren’t heat-check shots in his mind. That’s what makes it so terrifying.
Score Update: Washington 102 New York 105
Randle with a great spin move but Kristaps was right there yet Randle was able to draw the foul. He hits both free throws and the Knicks are up 109-106 with 1:16 left but not for long. Bradley Beal’s three-pointer ties the game!
Brunson hits a what-in-the-world kiss off the glass shot. Knicks are back up by two!
The Knicks follow up and Porzingis missed a three-pointer with a Mitchell Robinson layup. Knicks are up 113-109 with 11.2 seconds left.
Kuzma hits a three but no basket… he stepped out of bounds. In the words of the former television voice of the Wizards… Dagger.
Quickley gets fouled and makes one of two.
Kuzma misses the three and the game is over.
Final: Washington 109 New York 115
Time for Postgame:
Welp. Day one is in the books. I’ll see y’all tomorrow in Foggy Bottom!!!!