Delon Wright has proved to be a great off-season acquisition for the Washington Wizards just based on his defense alone. Wright has become the Wizards’ top defender, and nothing has been more evident than his clutch steal Tuesday against Luka Doncic, sealing a 127-126 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks had possession of the ball with 5.0 seconds remaining. Wright set up his game-winning stop with a kicked-ball violation with 3.1 seconds left. That allowed the Wizards to set up their defense.
Upon the Mavericks’ inbound, former Wizards player Spencer Dinwiddie sunk to the wing as a bailout option for Doncic. The Wizards met Doncic with a double team. But just as Doncic looked to pass the ball to a wide-open Dinwiddie, Wright intercepted the bounce pass before throwing the ball up in the air to run out the time.
On a night in which Kyle Kuzma scored 30 and Bradley added 22 points, the talk of the game was Wright’s defense. Collectively, the Wizards thwarted a 41-point, 15-rebound performance from Doncic.
Wright has been limited to 18 games this season due to a hamstring injury. However, Wright raised his value to the team with his relentless defense.
Against the Mavericks, Wright finished the game with 10 points, six assists, three rebounds, and three steals. He has eight games with at least three steals. That is the most in the NBA off the bench.
The Wizards have won three straight. With Wright back healthy, the Wizards’ defense is on pace to improve immensely.
