The Wizards Finish January on a 6-Game Win Streak After Big Win Over San Antonio
The Wizards, led by Deni “Turbo” Avdija, closed out their Texas road trip 3-0 with a big, 127-106 win in San Antonio over the Spurs.
Washington went to the first intermission trailing by 6 after a 15-point first quarter by 19-year-old Jeremy Sochan. However, the fellas in red turned on the jets in the second quarter, outscoring the Spurs 33-19. The Wiz had a great third quarter as well, netting 35 points in that frame.
Deni Avdija finished the night with a team-high 25 points, 16 of which came in the second half. Deni was very efficient when it came to scoring, shooting 10-12 from the field and 2-2 from deep. He was also 1 rebound away from his 8th double-double of the season, bringing in 9 rebounds in San Antonio.
Bradley Beal wasn’t far behind Avdija, scoring 21 points on the night. Beal, though, was busy helping the team in other ways. Brad still shot 50% from the field, but he also grabbed 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks.
Porzingis had a great first quarter, netting 13 of his 17 points in the opening frame. Kristaps went on to shoot an efficient 53%, a part of his game he struggles to keep up on some nights. The Latvian 7-footer saw a bigger role in the paint due to the absence of Daniel Gafford with a non-Covid illness. Porzingis hauled in 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and sent 5 shots back.
The Spurs, however, were still getting it done in the paint. They attacked the rim with speed and strength, scoring 66 total points in the painted region over the course of the night.
The rest of the Wizards starters, Kyler Kuzma, Corey Kispert, and Monte Morris, all eclipsed double-digit points in the Wizards’ 6th straight win.
The most noticeable difference between the two teams was the 3-point shooting. Washington shot 53% from beyond the arc, to San Antonio’s 24%. This came after 4 players in red, Avdija, Beal, Morris, and Kispert shot 50% or higher from deep.
Washington struggled in the first quarter to contain Jeremy Sochan but were able to keep him quiet after the first frame. Despite this, Keldon Johnson would still finish the night with 26 points, 5 points more than his season average.
And for the Spurs’ bigs, Poeltl was kept to one of his worst games of the season with only 7 points. The 7-footer sat more time on the bench than what he was used to, meaning Zach Collins got more minutes. Collins would capitalize on this opportunity, ending with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
The Wizards moved to 24-26 and will look to continue their hot streak on the first day of February. They will be in the Motor City to face the Pistons. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm EST.
