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Cold-shooting Wizards have no answers for Whiteside, Heat Cold-shooting Wizards have no answers for Whiteside, Heat
(about 4 hours later)
There are many reasons the Washington Wizards have remained above water in the competitive Eastern Conference despite a deluge of injuries. The defense has improved. They’ve shot better. Role players have surpassed expectations in larger roles. But the one catalyst has been John Wall. The Wizards have avoided plummeting too deep in the East because the all-star has played the best basketball of his career over the past month. There are many reasons the Washington Wizards have remained in playoff contention in the competitive Eastern Conference despite an astonishing deluge of injuries. The defense has improved. They have shot better. Role players have surpassed expectations in larger roles. But the one catalyst has been John Wall. The Wizards have avoided plummeting too deep in the East because the all-star has played the best basketball of his career over the past month.
“John’s obviously the lead of it,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said. “He’s played extremely well through this.”“John’s obviously the lead of it,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said. “He’s played extremely well through this.”
Thus, Sunday night’s 97-75 rout at the hands of the Miami Heat served as a reminder of Washington’s reliance on Wall. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-21 shooting, five assists and four rebounds. The assist total was his lowest of the season and the first time in nine games he didn’t record at least 11. Sunday night’s 97-75 rout at the hands of the Miami Heat served as evidence of the reliance on the point guard. Wall finished with 14 points on 6-for-21 shooting, five assists and four rebounds, and he went 0 for 8 in Washington’s seven-point second quarter. The assist total was his second lowest of the season, and it marked the first time in nine games he didn’t record at least 11.
The Wizards (15-17) had just nine players available because of injuries to Bradley Beal (leg), Nene (calf), Drew Gooden (calf), DeJuan Blair (knee), Gary Neal (quad), and Alan Anderson (ankle). They netted seven points in the second quarter, trailed by as many as 30, and set season lows in points and three-point field goal percentage (13.8) while posting their second-worst shooting performance (34.1 percent) from the field. Washington had just three players score in double figures — Marcin Gortat had 12 points and 13 rebounds and Ramon Sessions had 13 points off the bench — and was outrebounded 54-45. “There are going to be nights like that when you go bad from the field,” Wall said. “But you have to do other things on the other end. And tonight we didn’t do that.”
[For Wizards, the numbers add up to better defense and more victories] The Wizards (15-17) had just nine players available because of injuries to Bradley Beal (leg), Nene (calf), Drew Gooden (calf), DeJuan Blair (knee), Gary Neal (quad) and Alan Anderson (ankle). They trailed by 30 points and set season lows in points and three-point field goal percentage (13.8) while posting their second-worst shooting performance (34.1 percent) from the field. Washington had just four players score in double figures and was outrebounded 54-45.
Chris Bosh paced the Heat (20-13) with a game-high 23 points and Goran Dragic contributed 18 points, but it was Hassan Whiteside, who finished with six points and 13 rebounds, who provided the biggest impact. The center was a defensive force in the paint, finishing with six blocks and altering countless other attempts. About the only positive for the Wizards was that they avoided another injury when Marcin Gortat twisted his right ankle in the second quarter. He hobbled off the court in pain but reentered the game a few minutes later and finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 28 minutes.
The first quarter featured the uptempo pace the Wizards crave and the Heat avoids. Miami entered the evening allowing an NBA-low 8.3 fast-break points per game (8.3) and third-lowest points off turnovers (14.5), while playing at the league’s second-slowest pace (94.46 possessions per 48 minutes). “I was just trying to get some camera time,” Gortat quipped. “I was good from the get-go. I’m blessed by God to give me a body that doesn’t get hurt all the time.”
By the end of the first quarter, Washington had posted six fast-break points and four points off turnovers. Miami held a 25-24 edge through the period behind a 10-point effort from Bosh, but the game’s pace was undeniably in the Wizards’ favor. [Insider: Wizards get crushed by Heat but dodge Gortat injury scare]
The Wizards, however, could not sustain the effort. Their offense foundered from the second quarter on, compiling one of the worst offensive showings in franchise history. Washington shot 2 of 22 (9.1 percent) from the field in the quarter and didn’t tally a point over the final 5:34. Chris Bosh paced the Heat (20-13) with a game-high 23 points and Goran Dragic contributed 18 points, but it was Hassan Whiteside, who finished with six points and 13 rebounds, who provided the biggest impact. The center was a defensive force in the paint, finishing with six blocks and altering countless other attempts.
One of the misfires was an airball on a floater from Sessions, who airballed a free throw earlier in the period, though he still led the team with eight points at the half as Wall missed all eight of his shots in the quarter. The output was historically dreadful but not the Wizards’ worst this season; they recorded six points in the fourth quarter of their Nov. 25 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. There has been only one other quarter in the NBA this season in which a team has scored seven or fewer points. “Obviously Hassan Whiteside was incredible,” Gortat said. “I personally haven’t seen a better shot blocker in the past nine years in the league.”
The Wizards were guilty of settling for jumpers and when they did attack the basket they often encountered Whiteside. In the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 7, the Wizards, forced to go with super small lineups often with Jared Dudley at center in Gortat’s absence, forced Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra to remove Whiteside in the pivotal fourth quarter and Washington claimed a 114-103 victory. The first quarter featured the up-tempo pace Washington craves and Miami avoids. The Heat began the evening surrendering an NBA-low 8.3 fast-break points per game and the third-fewest points off turnovers (14.5) while playing at the league’s second-slowest pace (94.46 possessions per 48 minutes).
On Sunday, Washington had Gortat at center, which allowed Whiteside to stay on the floor and the 7-footer dominated the first half while scoring just two points on 1 of 6 shooting. He blocked four shots over the first two quarters, including a couple jumpers, and altered several others. His presence made the Wizards reluctant to challenge him. The result was a 25-7 second quarter advantage for the Heat and a 50-31 halftime lead. But by the end of the first period, Washington had posted six fast-break points and four points off turnovers. Miami held a 25-24 edge through the period behind a 10-point effort from Bosh, but the pace was undeniably in the Wizards’ favor.
The Wizards needed 63 seconds to match their second-quarter field-goal count and eventually trimmed the deficit to 14 with 6:35 left in the third period, but the Heat countered and expanded the gap to 22 points by the end of the quarter. The game changed remarkably from there. Washington’s offense floundered in the game-deciding second quarter, producing one of the worst offensive showings in franchise history. Washington shot 2 for 22 (9.1 percent) from the field in the quarter and didn’t score a point over the final 5 minutes 34 seconds.
[Kelly Oubre Jr. has become key contributor for Wizards]
One of the misfires was an air ball on a floater from Ramon Sessions, who air balled a free throw earlier in the period, though he still led the team with eight points at the half. The output was historically dreadful but not the Wizards’ worst this season; they recorded six points in the fourth quarter of their Nov. 25 loss at the Charlotte Hornets. There has been only one other quarter in the NBA this season in which a team has scored seven or fewer points.
“We stopped moving people, our bodies, and we stopped moving the ball,” Wittman said. “One guy was dribbling it, holding it, and just as I told our guys, we’re not an isolation team. That’s not a knock. We’re just not made up that way.”
The Wizards also were guilty of settling for jumpers, and when they did attack the basket, they often encountered Whiteside. In the teams’ first meeting Dec. 7, Gortat was home in Poland for a family issue, forcing the Wizards to go with a small lineup that included Jared Dudley at center. Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra had to remove Whiteside in the pivotal fourth quarter, and Washington claimed a 114-103 victory.
On Sunday, Washington had Gortat at center, which allowed Whiteside to stay on the floor, and the 7-footer dominated the first half despite not scoring a point. He blocked four shots over the first two quarters, including a couple of jumpers, and had an impact on several more. His presence made the Wizards reluctant to challenge the basket. The result was a 25-7 second-quarter advantage for the Heat and a 50-31 halftime lead.
“We missed a lot of shots,” Gortat said, “and that’s how you lose a game.”