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In a game they had to have, Wizards are defenseless vs. Kings In a game they had to have, Wizards are defenseless vs. Kings
(about 1 hour later)
SACRAMENTO — Jared Dudley got the first crack at it, a corner three-pointer on a skip pass from John Wall, and missed it. Bradley Beal was next. The sharpshooter lined up an open three from the wing. The Washington Wizards’ bench, confident the team’s best three-point marksman would come through, rose in anticipation. Nope. Wall was on deck. He gathered a pass and, from the corner opposite Dudley’s, bricked his attempt. SACRAMENTO — Jared Dudley got the first crack at it, a corner three-pointer on a skip pass from John Wall, and missed it. Bradley Beal was next. The sharpshooter lined up an open three from the wing. The Washington Wizards’ bench, confident the team’s best three-point marksman would come through, rose in anticipation. Clank. Wall was on deck. He gathered a pass and, from the corner opposite Dudley’s initial try, bricked his attempt.
Three misses in 14 seconds in the fourth quarter of the Sacramento Kings’ 120-111 victory Wednesday night, but the Wizards, their bleak playoff chances slipping with each elapsed second, got another opportunity. Garrett Temple corralled their third offensive rebound of the possession to groans from the Sleep Train Arena crowd and the ball eventually found Dudley again with Washington trailing by eight points with less than eight minutes remaining. Three misses in 14 seconds in the fourth quarter of the Sacramento Kings’ 120-111 victory Wednesday night could have doomed the visitors, but the Wizards — their bleak playoff chances slipping with each elapsed second — got another opportunity to cut into an eight-point deficit their dismal defense had created. Garrett Temple corralled the third offensive rebound of the possession to groans from the Sleep Train Arena crowd and the ball eventually found Dudley again with less than eight minutes remaining.
Instead of settling for another three, Dudley drove to the basket until he found himself under the rim with nowhere to go. He then tossed an errant shovel pass toward the perimeter, which Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein easily intercepted to conclude the possession. Instead of settling for another three, Dudley drove to the basket until he found himself under the rim with nowhere to go. He then attempted an errant shovel pass toward the perimeter, which Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein easily intercepted to conclude the possession.
[Where the race for the NBA playoffs stands][Where the race for the NBA playoffs stands]
Three offensive rebounds. Three three-pointers. Zero points. Just seven regular-season games remain for the Wizards, and the end looks like it’s coming sooner than expected. Three offensive rebounds. Three three-point attempts. Zero points.
Less than a minute later, Darren Collison’s pull-up jumper ballooned the Kings’ advantage to 13 points, effectively sealing the result, a disastrous one for the Wizards against a team that has spent the season in turmoil and celebrated just its 30th win. Less than a minute later, Darren Collison’s pull-up jumper ballooned the Kings’ advantage to 13 points, effectively sealing the result, a disastrous one for the Wizards — who haven’t won in Sacramento since January of 2009 — against a team that has spent the season in turmoil and celebrated just its 30th win.
With the defeat, Washington dropped to 36-39 and 31/2 games behind the Indiana Pacers for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. Sacramento is 30-45. Just seven regular-season games remain for the Wizards, and the end looks like it’s coming sooner than expected. With the defeat, Washington dropped to 36-39 and 3 1/2 games behind the Indiana Pacers for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. Sacramento is 30-45.
Defense capsized Washington again. The Wizards surrendered at least 120 points for the eighth time, falling to 1-7 in those contests. Sacramento scored 60 points in each half, shot 56 percent from the field, and was led by center DeMarcus Cousins’s 29 points and 10 rebounds. “To me, it felt like we gave up,” said Beal, who led the Wizards with 24 points on 10 of 21 shooting. “We have a great opportunity to still make the playoffs, but we’re just not hungry enough.”
Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 11 assists before he was ejected with 6.7 seconds remaining.
Beal paced the Wizards with 24 points on 10-for-21 shooting. Wall netted 14 points on 4-for-16 shooting and 13 assists as six Wizards scored in double figures.
Cousins arrived at the arena Wednesday fourth in the NBA in scoring at 27.0 points per game and well-rested — he, Rondo, and Rudy Gay sat out the Kings’ loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The respite produced a replenished force the Wizards could not contain.
The mercurial 7-footer overwhelmed the Wizards throughout the first half from all over the court, displaying his unique blend of physicality and nimbleness. Cousins began his destruction with a step-back jumper over Marcin Gortat to conclude Sacramento’s first possession. He then added two hook shots to net the Kings’ first six points, a layup, and a three-pointer en route to 11 points in just 7 minutes 2 seconds before he exited.
Washington pounced on Cousins’s absence, outscoring Sacramento by six points for the remainder of the first quarter. Wall concluded the frame with a long, bold pull-up three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left. The Wizards’ offense was disjointed at times, but scoring wasn’t their issue. Ball security and defense were. Washington committed 10 turnovers in the first half, which, to their fortune, the Kings converted only into six points.
[Dantley: From NBA to Montgomery County rec league ref][Dantley: From NBA to Montgomery County rec league ref]
Cousins returned 42 seconds into the second quarter to resume his domination, adding 10 points in the period for 21 in the first half — one point shy of the total he posted in the Kings’ 113-99 loss to the Wizards on Dec. 21 — to head a 60-point half for the Kings, who entered the night sixth in the NBA in field-goal percentage and shot a scorching 55.8 percent through 24 minutes. Cousins then went over to greet Wall’s mother, seated behind the Wizards’ bench, before the second half started. Defense capsized Washington again. The Wizards surrendered at least 120 points for the eighth time, falling to 1-7 in those contests. Sacramento scored 60 points in each half, shot 56 percent, and was led by center DeMarcus Cousins’s 29 points and 10 rebounds.
It was the 12th time the Wizards surrendered at least 60 points in a half this season. They were 3-8 in the first 11 instances. Kings point guard Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 11 assists before he was ejected with 6.7 seconds remaining, while Wizards point guard John Wall netted 14 points on 4-for-16 shooting and 13 assists. Six Wizards scored in double figures but Washington committed 20 turnovers.
Otto Porter Jr., who had seven points at halftime, emerged with the hot hand in the third quarter. The slender, 6-foot-9 forward, often prodded by his peers to be more aggressive, assertively launched shots when given the space and didn’t miss. The Georgetown product made a trio of three-pointers and finished with 20 points, his 11th straight game in double figures. “We just had a lack of discipline on both ends of the floor,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said. “That’s what it boiled down to. Our discipline and what we were trying to do. We just went out and played. . . . We said that this team is capable of scoring points and we weren’t going to outscore them. That’s what it looked like we tried to do. Offensively and defensively — our discipline was non-existent tonight.”
Washington’s defense, however, remained porous. After Porter sank his third three-pointer to trim the Wizards’ deficit to 82-80 with 1:46 left in the quarter, the Wizards collapsed. The Kings closed the period on an abrupt 7-0 spurt, capped off by Omar Casspi’s wide-open layup on a baffling Washington defensive breakdown, to push their lead to nine. [NBA power rankings: Clippers’ future is murky as Griffin is cleared]
Cousins arrived at the arena Wednesday fourth in the NBA in scoring at 27.0 points per game and well-rested. He, Rondo, and Rudy Gay sat out the Kings’ loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The respite produced a replenished force the Wizards could not contain.
The mercurial big man overwhelmed the Wizards throughout the first half from all over the court, displaying his unique blend of physicality and nimbleness. Cousins began his destruction with a step-back jumper over Marcin Gortat to conclude Sacramento’s first possession and netted 11 points in 7 minutes before he exited.
Washington pounced on Cousins’s absence, outscoring Sacramento by six points for the remainder of the first quarter. Wall concluded the frame with a long, bold pull-up three-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining. The Wizards’ offense was disjointed at times, but scoring wasn’t their issue. Ball security and defense were. Washington committed 10 turnovers in the first half which the Kings converted only into six points.
Cousins returned 42 seconds into the second quarter to resume his domination, adding 10 points in the period for 21 in the first half — one point shy of the total he posted in the Kings’ 113-99 loss to the Wizards on Dec. 21 — to power a 60-point half for the Kings, which they matched in the second half.
“We missed some easy shots, but we didn’t defend at all this whole night,” Wall said.
Otto Porter Jr., who had seven points at halftime, emerged with the hot hand in the third quarter. The slender, 6-foot-8 forward, often prodded by his peers to be more aggressive, assertively launched shots when given the space and didn’t miss. The Georgetown product made a trio of three-pointers and finished with 20 points, his 11th straight game in double figures.
Washington’s defense, however, remained dreadful. After Porter sank his third three-pointer to trim the Wizards’ deficit to 82-80 with 1:46 left in the quarter, the Wizards collapsed. The Kings closed the period on an abrupt 7-0 spurt, capped off by Omar Casspi’s wide-open layup on a baffling Washington defensive breakdown, to push their lead to nine.
Kings backup center Kosta Koufas later scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter before the Wizards’ catastrophic three-miss possession ended with Dudley’s turnover, encapsulating a frustrating season that is on path for an early conclusion.
“Everybody’s a grown-ass man,” Beal said. “Either you want to play or you don’t. It’s plain and simple. Either you want to win or you don’t. If you don’t want to win then you need to sit down.”