Wizards 131
Suns 127
March 7, 2017 - Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ
[Photo credit: AP Photo/Rick Scuteri]
Washington began their first West Coast road trip of the season in remarkably strange fashion. Early on it seemed like the Wizards might run the Suns out of their own arena when up 22 points, but an uncharacteristic Jared Dudley head butt later and Phoenix was awoken. After a brief scare, Washington won their 12th game when trailing by double-digits behind another strong performance from trade deadline acquisition Bojan Bogdanovic. The Wizards had to Denver tonight following their highest scoring production in regulation this season and improve to 38-28.
Here are your three takeaways from Washington’s road victory, their seventh in last eight contests away from the Verizon Center.
Quick Hits:
A wacky, wacky game.
It is a shame the Wizards do not play the Suns again this season because otherwise we might have a repeat of the ‘Funeral Game’. Early in the second quarter, Jason Smith laid Tyler Ulis with a solid blind side screen in the back court that sent the 5-foot-9 guard to the deck. Former Wizards forward Jared Dudley, who I always thought of as having a calm demeanor, jogged the length of the court to get in the face and head butt Smith right in the mouth. Dudley was ejected along with backup Washington point guard Brandon Jennings for supposedly imitating a gun gesture, *insert Gilbert reference here*. At the end of the half, John Wall had an impressive and-1 finish at the buzzer that resulted in rookie Marquese Chriss jawing with Kelly Oubre Jr. and getting in the face of Markieff Morris. Although Morris and Marcin Gortat are ‘Phoenix Outlaws’ according to the latter, many would not have thought this game would get as chippy as it did.
This is not a drill, the Washington Wizards have a competent bench.
Bogie, Bo Buckets, the Croatian Sensation, or whatever you have nicknamed Bojan Bogdanovic, it is probably appropriate. Bogdanovic went for 29 points on just nine field goal attempts and nine rebounds for his second-best scoring game in his career. Bogdanovic has had 27+ points in three of the last four games, which is something the Wizards have done off the bench just once this season (Trey Burke vs. Nets on 12/28). Moreover, Bogdanovic's perfect night from the charity stripe, 16 of 16, is the most makes without a miss in Wizards franchise history; Caron Butler was 15 of 15 in 2006. Besides Bogdanovic, the Wizards biggest new free agent acquisition Ian Mahinmi is starting to earn his paycheck. In a season-high 26 minutes, Mahinmi recorded season highs in points and rebounds with 15 and 9 and had a career-high 7 steals. The only other centers in NBA history, since 1973-74 when it became an official statistic, to have seven steals in a game? Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Mahinmi’s defensive presence is going to be a nice weapon in the final 20 games as well as the playoffs. Last, but certainly not least, Jason Smith is going to force Scott Brooks to find him more playing time going forward. Smith had 17 points on 6 of 7 shooting including two three-pointers as well as six rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Much in part to the trio, Washington had a season-high 65 points off the bench, which was just one point shy of the starter's production.
Front court struggles continue.
Before the All-Star break, it was a consistent story line. Washington’s starters play great and make up for lack of production from second-unit. That has not been the case for the most part in seven games since the festivities in New Orleans. Otto Porter is 20 of 55 (36 percent) and 6 of 22 from beyond the arc (27 percent), Markieff Morris is 31 of 79 (39 percent) and 4 of 14 from deep (29 percent), and Marcin Gortat is 23 of 53 (43 percent). Hopefully it is just a slump that the trio will snap out of because the Wizards are not going to continue winning games when they shoot 5 of 19 from the field for just 14 points. Porter is probably on more opponents scouting reports, Morris has been dealing with nagging leg injuries, and Gortat has admitted that he has not been playing well. Regardless, this team will not go far in the playoffs without a higher level of play from their starting front court.
Highlights:
Panda Panda Panda
This pass by John Wall...
This possession was artwork.