In a blowout game against the Detroit Pistons (27-28), the Washington Wizards (25-28) went old school in a hard-fought battle against the Motor City Friday. In a second consecutive win of a three-game stretch, Washington defended its turf, got physical and established a gritty pace-and-space offense in a smack-down 12-point victory over the Pistons, beating them 98-86 at the Verizon Center.
Whether it was the Wizards new trade acquisition of former Phoenix Suns power forward Markieff Morris that gave them what they needed or perhaps the week off that the players had during the All-Star game… or maybe it’s even that Washington is 31 games out from playoff contention. Whatever the motivation was, D.C.’s home-team came out with a chip on its shoulder and something to prove.
The way Washington played defensively against Detroit was a reminder of a ball club from last season. The home team had five players in double-digit figures. Point guard John Wall led the way with his 22 points along with his eight rebounds and eight assists. The other leading Wizards scorer was shooting guard Bradley Beal with 17 points in 26 minutes with three rebounds and three assists. Center Marcin Gortat added to the win as well with 15 points, nine rebounds along with small forward Otto Porter’s 11 points and six rebounds. Fellow forward Jared Dudley was no disappointment in Friday’s win as he finished up with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Ranked 21st in the NBA in defensive efficiency, the Wizards had to make a statement against Detroit since they were just coming off a huge win at home against the Utah Jazz during which they turned the ball over 23 times.
The Wizards kept a defensive noose around the Pistons, never falling behind. They led the entire game, holding the opposition to just 15 points in the first quarter (the least they’ve given up in a first quarter all season). Washington outscored, outrebounded and outplayed Detroit, limiting it to just 40 points at the half and 42.7 percent of shooting. As well, the team finished the night with 26 assists on 36 field goals to Detroit’s 13 assists and nine turnovers. And the Wizards committed 47 rebounds to the Pistons’ 41. They also had 13 fast-break points to just five that Motown had.
Detroit is ranked fourth in the NBA for rebounds. However, the Pistons struggled… even though it has the talents of center Andre Drummond who leads the league in rebounding and who is considered to be a monster at the boards. The 2012-2013 All-Rookie’s dominance was missing in this game and he was held off from making offensive rebounds. He finished with 11 points and just 13 rebounds, significantly below his average of 20 points and 19 rebounds per game.
Washington bringing Morris on board could not have had better timing with the Wizards in their final game of a three-game stretch. They may need all the man-power they can get when they face the Miami Heat Saturday in another back-to-back game. Morris — who was swapped out in a last minute trade for forwards Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair from the Suns — had only been approved by the NBA to play 15 minutes before the start of the game. He didn’t even get time to practice or a have a walk-through with his new teammates before suiting up.
“The guy has no idea what we are doing, and that’s the hardest thing when you come out,” Wizards Head Coach Randy Wittman said after Morris was cleared to play. “I just said to go out there and play like it’s a pickup game.”
Morris, still fresh from the West Coast, recorded six points and went two-for-eight shooting and two rebounds after playing for just 10 minutes.
Fans at the Verizon Center were treated to a family affair as the Wizards’ Morris wore a No. 3 jersey for Washington and his identical twin brother, Marcus Morris (forward), wore No. 13 for Detroit during Friday’s face-off. Even though the two brothers have spent most of their life playing together, Friday they went head-to-head in a serious playoff race. The reuniting of these twins was on cue with the Detroit Morris’ production getting the better of his twin as he logged nine points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Pistons struggled even as they were attempting to make a run for it… they still couldn’t flip the switch on Washington. There were a few moments that went in their favor but Washington made key plays and capitalized on the Pistons’ struggles from the perimeter. The Wizards made solid defensive stops and that’s what led to poor execution by Detroit’s offense.
With just three days in Detroit, leading scorer Pistons’ forward Tobias Harris dished out 21 points along with point guard Reggie Jackson’s 16 points. Unfortunately for Detroit, it just was not enough to end a fourth straight loss for the team… including a third one to the Wizards.
With this win, Washington trails one game behind Detroit in the 10th spot for this playoff race and two spots behind the eighth-place Chicago Bulls. Fans can now expect an aggressive push to the Eastern Conference playoffs. Let’s hope the Wizards can grind out a playoff spot and save Wall’s All-Star season.