Wizards lose to Knicks 101-97 for 3rd straight loss
The Washington Wizards could not get it done against the New York Knicks Sunday night, losing 101 to 97. This 3rd straight loss for the Wizards dropped them 40-33 and leaves them at the 6th playoff seed, which would be a series against the King and the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The King has never lost in the first round of the Playoffs and with 9 games left in the season, the Wizards need to pull it together. There is some good news however, John Wall has practiced this week and we may see him before the playoffs.
Some notes:
Streak broken: I personally could not care less about streaks, but it is worth mentioning that the Wizards had beaten the Knicks the last 8 times. That’s it, carry on.
Lost opportunities: The Wizards had 2 opportunities to win this one. With 42 seconds on the clock Oubre missed a 3 pointer that would have given the Wizards a 4-point lead. And with 21 seconds Beal missed a jumper and then Gortat missed the put-backer. G-d I miss Wall and his killer instinct.
Beal disappoints: Besides the missed shot at the end, Bradley did not have a good game. Despite playing a team high 39 minutes, he only scored 14 points (a team high non-the less) with a dismal 29 field goal percentage and going 1-6 at the arc. While the Wizards have gone 14-11 since Walls injury, mostly through the grit of Beal, he seems to be fading down the stretch.
More Ian please: This is more of a personal thing, but I really do believe the Wizards play better with Ian Mahinmi on the court. In just 7 minutes he had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and a steal. He is just so athletic and appears quicker and stronger than Gortat and seems to have more rim presence.
What’s next: The Wizards (40-33) face off against the San Antonio Spurs (43-31) on Tuesday, tipoff at 7:00 PM
