Monday’s matinee had all the makings of a trap game for the Washington Wizards, who were tasked with facing the 8-32 Philadelphia 76ers—but it didn’t take long for Paul Pierce and Co. long to make sure it didn’t become one.
The Wizards built a 16-point lead in the first quarter and saw that balloon to 28 during the second, and they cruised to an easy victory on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, routing the Sixers 111-76 to improve to 29-13 and tighten their grip on second place in the Eastern Conference.
For head coach Randy Wittman, the game was a sign of lessons learned for the Wizards throughout this season.
“We had focus right from the beginning,” Wittman said. “Effort, our energy, that’s what you have to learn to do game in and game out, no matter who you’re playing. We’ve proven enough in 41 games, when we’re not focused and playing with high energy and effort, we’re in trouble.”
Not a single starter played 30 minutes, nor did any play in the fourth quarter, yet all five still managed to score in double figures. Paul put up 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from downtown, and added three rebounds and two assists in just 22 minutes for the home team.
What Wittman wasn’t too proud of, however, was the team’s poor ball security. Washington finished with 23 turnovers, and of the 13 Wizards who played, 11 had at least one turnover. It was a collective effort, and it was clear at times that the Wizards were having difficulty staying involved in the game, which had become a blowout before the end of the first quarter.
Throughout his sparse minutes, The Truth did a fantastic job of working the flow of the offense and picked up numerous secondary assists that won’t show up in the box score. Time and again, John Wall swung the ball to No. 34, who found narrow alleys to fit passes into Marcin Gortat or Nene, who both had terrific games in the post.
His facilitation was so good, especially in the first quarter, that by the time he came out for the first time with just more than eight minutes gone by, the Wizards were already up to five assists. The 76ers, by comparison, had just one assist.
The Truth finally returned with less than four minutes remaining in the half, and the Wizards had already built a 24-point lead, which Paul just had to help maintain. He did just that, and then was rewarded by playing less than 11 minutes in the second half.
“Usually we’d get up 15 or 18 points and we’d let a team come right back down,” said point guard John Wall. “Even though it might seem like it’s no fun or excitement, we’ve got to make it a game that we’re trying to get better and look for the future.”
Paul knocked down a three and had five points in the third quarter, while Gortat added 10 to his total, and Washington took an 85-58 lead into the final frame. All five starters rested in the fourth, and even the D.C. bench added to the lead, as the Wiz won by 35.
“We take things that we can correct for our game on Wednesday, like not turning the ball over as much and try to put teams away and not give them any life in the second half,” Wall said.
MLK Day
Before the game, Paul took the microphone and made a small speech to the Verizon Center crowd in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Paul Pierce making a brief pre-game speech in honor of Dr. King.
— max (@MaxRappaport) January 19, 2015
Paul Pierce opens game with MLK comments. Adds gravitas to a young team #Truth #WizardsTalk
— Keely Diven (@keelydivenCSN) January 19, 2015
Paul Pierce offered a quick reflection on MLK; thanked #Wizards fans for continued support.
— Hoop District (@HoopDistrictDC) January 19, 2015
NEXT UP
The Wizards host D.C. native Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who barely squeaked past Washington when the two teams met earlier this season. Durant dominated the game late in that matchup, then Wall telegraphed a pass in the final minutes that Russell Westbrook stole, essentially clinching the Wizards loss.
Paul will be faced with the unenviable task of trying to contain Durant, who will be playing in front of a hometown crowd that worships him and desperately wants to see him return to D.C. to play for the Wizards when he’s a free agent in 2016.
Durant will likely be playing inspired basketball, meaning The Truth will have his hands full. The Thunder are far better than their 20-20 record implies, as they have endured horrible injury problems all season. OKC is out of playoff contention at the moment, and it will have an uphill battle the rest of the season to earn a trip to the postseason. Washington, on the other hand, is five games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the top seed in the East and a game and a half above the Toronto Raptors.
The game will be shown nationally on ESPN and is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET start.
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