Wizards Christmas Win Highlights so-far Frustrating Season
Expectations were very high for Washington coming into this season. Coming off a second round playoff loss to the #1 seeded Celtics, and bolstered by their newly-signed Otto Porter, Many expected them to take the next step. Going into Monday’s clash with the rival Celtics, those expectations had yet to be met this season, save for a couple games where they’ve been able to flash their superior skill.
The Wizards entered the game at a very pedestrian 18-15, good for 6th place in the east. They’ve been plagued with bad losses including home games to basement dwellers like Phoenix, Dallas, and two road losses at the lowly Nets. Moreover, Washington has developed this annoying habit of blowing double-digit leads in nearly every game, win or loss. They’ve done this at home like the November 25th game against Portland (blew 17 point lead), and on the road like the November 22nd game at Charlotte (blew 11 point lead).
All this led to feelings of anger towards the team, as fans understand they must take advantage of this window where they’re arguably among the best teams in the conference. None of this has been helped by injuries to key players like John Wall and Markeiff Morris which have kept them out for extended periods.
Enter Christmas day. Washington came into the holiday matchup with Boston as the underdog, but they didn’t play like it. They started the game with a quick 5-point lead and never trailed by more than 2, generally keeping a multiple-possession lead. In short, the Wiz showed what they could be if they play up to their talent, which is all the fans have asked for all year. They gave us a win against a rival, and a possible jumping off point for a run they should go on. That’s the best Christmas gift we could have asked for.
