Story By: Robert Jones
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Phoenix, AZ–
If you thought the Wizards were going to continue their winning streak in Phoenix tonight, well being run out of the building didn’t help their cause tonight as deficits of 20 and 25 points made it challenging to overcome a Suns team that was out running a tired Wizards team the entire game.
The Wizards scored just 34 points on possessions when John Wall had at least one touch Wednesday, shooting 32.5%. The offense flowed much better when Wall didn’t have a touch, shooting 50.0% on such possessions. For a good part of the fourth quarter it was the Wizards bench that kept them in the game. The bench was led by Otto Porter’s 14 points and other than his play, not much help came to the starting five players.
“It was our fourth game in five nights and we were playing teams that were pretty fast,” Washington’s John Wall said, “Denver and L.A. and now them, so it was tough. I’m not looking for excuses but we definitely didn’t have the same energy as we usually do.”
Washington’s backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal were a combined 10-for-31 shooting. Beal was 5 of 15 for 13 points. Wall, who tweaked his ankle the previous night against the Lakers and has been bothered by migraines, missed his first five shots and finished 5 for 16 for 11 points. It is questionable whether Wall will play on Saturday night as they return home to play the Raptors.
Washington’s reserves went on a 17-3 run to cut the lead to 91-87 with 6:58 left. The Suns scored the next eight, four by P.J Tucker, to go up 99-87, but Porter again kept them close, but Markeiff Morris hit a 15-foot jumper with 23 seconds remaining to give the Suns a 103-97 lead and too much for the Wizards find a way to climb any closer.
