Wizards remain gutsy in loss

wizardsThis game changed with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Washington Wizards had been battling back against an unbelievable offensive outburst from Chicago Bulls guards Mike Dunleavy all night. The Wizards had finally started to make a run in the fourth quarter. Off a turnover, Nene drove the ball strong to the hoop for the score, cutting the Bulls lead down to only two points (78-76). Nene bumped Bulls guard Jimmy Butler on the way back down court. Butler pushed back. The two got nose to nose and suddenly, Nene had Butler in a Muy Tai clinch. Finally, the scuffle was broken up before any punches could be thrown. Nene was assessed two technical fouls and ejected from the game. That is what is known as a turning point, a game changer.

Now the Wizards were no longer just playing against the Bulls, they were competing against themselves too. Mentally how were the Wizards going to handle losing Nene? For the next few minutes, as the Bulls built up a nine point lead, it seemed like the ejection was going to be a series changer too. The Wizards were reeling. Their moment was lost and the game was slipping away. If the Bulls had been able to continue to score unanswered buckets and had gotten a blowout win, it would have really changed to momentum of the series. It is very possible that Nene will be suspended for his actions. If that happens and the Bulls had won in a blowout, suddenly the Bulls would look like the favorites to advance. The Bulls would be riding high and the Wizards would look like they were just not quite ready for the spotlight. But we do not have to worry about that because Washington did not give up.

The Wizards tightened up on defense and created a few turnovers. Bradley Beal, continuing his breakout performance from game two, lead the offensive attack and got the team back into the game. With less than a minute to go, the score was tied at 91. Ultimately, however, the comeback would fall short. A missed free throw, a questionable call and a turnover resulted in a three point loss for the Wizards. Sure the loss is disappointing but it is not devastating. The Wizards responded to the adversity they faced. At 8:30 in the fourth quarter, the Wizards could have rolled over and let the Bulls have the win. They could have wilted under the pressure and faded into the background. We have all seen other Washington teams do that in the past. Not this team though. Despite the circumstances, the Wizards continued to fight and mounted a comeback. That says a lot about this team. The Wizards will not give up. The Wizards will keep playing through adversity. The Wizards will be ready for game four.

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Brian Hradsky

The owner of MSB, I created this website while in college and it has never died.

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