The Washington Wizards got Bradley Beal back from bereavement on Wednesday night. The three-time all-star dropped 24 points with seven assists. Yet, it was not enough, as the Wizards’ five-game win streak was snapped at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets 97-87.
The Wizards built a 51-45 halftime lead behind 36 points in the paint. But, the Hornets made a great adjustment that stifled Washington’s offense in the second half.
The Hornets went to a zone, which in turn kept the Wizards from getting the ball inside. Washington settled for three, lots of them. They went ice cold and finished the game 8-of-42 (19%) shooting from three.
Beal made 5-of-11. Yet, his teammates went a collective 3-of-31 (9.6%)
Charlotte seized control of the game with a 14-0 run in the third quarter. The Hornets made stops, and countered with buckets on the offensive end. Jalen McDaniels hit a pair of threes during the run that was capped by a Kelly Oubre Jr. three.
The swing erased a 63-54 deficit and turned it into a 68-63 lead for Charlotte.
The sequence was precipitated by Charlotte’s 1-1-3 zone defense. Washington couldn’t buy a bucket and was outscored 21-2 the final 5:21 of the third quarter, building a 75-65 lead. The Hornets never looked back from that point on.
Is Wednesday night’s an aberration for the Wizards? It remains to be seen. But Unseld anticipates his team will see a lot more zone moving forward. That’s especially with Washington’s sluggish three-point shooting.
The Wizards currently average 49 points in the paint, fourth-best in the NBA. However, they are 25th in the league in three-point shooting with 32.3 percent. The Hornets’ zone look could ultimately be the start of a trend for the Wizards.
