Story By: Erin Zollars
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington, D.C–
I
n search of their second win of the season the Wizards had a Knicks team on their hands that gave them all they could handle with a bunch of players that many of us have never heard of prior to this season. This wasn’t going to stop John Wall and his crew from completing more of a team effort to knock of the Knicks 108-95.
Tonight’s game featured Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting line-up as Otto Porter was out injured and it seemed like a good fit with the way the Wizards were running the ball tonight.
From the beginning of the game the Wizards set the tone by the middle of the first quarter when Oubre threw down a huge dunk to give the Wizards 16-8 lead with 5:44 remaining in the quarter. The Knicks wouldn’t quite go away, as Alonzo Grier hit a buzzer beater to end the quarter and keep them close at 24-17.
Washington got a lot more inside the paint presence in this game, something they had been missing and they also got some play from players missing the scoring last game, including Markieff Morris, who hit a driving lay-up with 5:16 remaining in the second quarter to give the Wizards their first 10 point lead of the game.
Following the half, the Wizards continued to give the Knicks a healthy dose of balanced scoring and with 6:02 they opened another sizeable lead at 12 points when John Wall hit on a 23-yard 3 pointer to give them a 70-62 lead.
The Knicks would make it a game early in the fourth quarter when former Wizard, Trey Burke drove for a lay-up tying the game at 82. After that bucket, it was all John Wall again. Wall hit on another jumper and lay-up spreading the lead back to four at 90-86.
Bradley Beal would put the game out of reach with a jumper at 1:46 remaining, when he hit a jumper making the score 103-98.
After the game, Wizards Head Coach Scott Brooks was asked what was a different? What we saw was the Wizards actually played some defense. He said it was on both sides of the ball that helped them grab this victory.
“We played extremely well on both sides of the ball tonight, said Brooks. John was able to get some great looks and I think our bench played a key role in the game. The guys just seemed more relaxed and confident in their shot selections,” said Brooks.
