Story By: Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington, D.C–
It appears that back-to-back games and lack of available players tonight for the Wizards really showed against the Hawks, as this game mostly over shortly after halftime.
Without Jordan Poole, who tweaked his ankle in practice, the scoring consistency was not there at all for the Wizards. His previous three games have accounted for 90 of the Wizards 390 total points scored and the lack of additional scoring tonight really showed as the only player with consistent 20 plus point games, Kyle Kuzma was held to just 12 points on a 4-10 from the field.
Trae Young had 26 points and 10 assists for the Hawks, who dealt the Wizards their ninth straight loss and left them searching for answers on how to find a way out of the slide toward one of the worst starts in Wizards (Bullets) franchise history.
Washington stared the 2012-13 season 0-12 from Oct 30, 2012 – Nov 28, 2012, so this season start would rival that year when Wizards Head Coach Randy Wittman started the season 1-13. Could they still chase two historic NBA benchmarks: Worst 82-game season ever, 9-73, by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers or the worst winning percentage ever, .106, by the 2011-12, a horrendous 7-59 record by the then Charlotte Bobcats.
Atlanta led by 30 in the 4th, and it was time both the Wizards and the Hawks to clear the benches. For the Hawks they sent Trent Forrest, AJ Griffin, and Bruno Fernando on the court. Washington countered with Jared Butler, Mike Muscala, Eugene Omoruyi and Anthony Gill. This might have been the most energy we saw on the floor the entire game from the Wizards, who at one in the fourth continued to trail by as much as 30 points for over 2:00.
The final score was 136-108 and Atlanta finished the game shooting 52% from the field and 48% from three. You are not going to win many games when you let opposing teams shoot those kinds of percentages from the field.
