“I think we got the right pieces here,” Wizards point guard John Wall said. “It’s just about closing out games. Ever since the coaching change and the little trade, we’ve been in all the games, even making them close games. We just gotta finish out how to close them out down the stretch.”

Until they do, it makes it difficult to see, from the outside, that the Wizards are better defensively, have better chemistry, are more confident, balanced and unselfish than they’ve been at almost any point in the last two seasons. The results say they’re second-worst in the NBA – and that’s a mark of shame even if it includes a lottery ticket.

“If you keep running into the same guy, and he keeps punching you in the face, you’re going to learn to get your hands up, aren’t you?,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “This is three straight times. We’re busting our tails to put ourselves in that position, and we’ve got to understand, you’ve got to tighten the screws even more for this team, when you’ve got another team down, to get that win.”

Wall made his third 3-pointer of the season(he’s 3-for-38 from the arc for the season) against the Pistons, but his clutch numbers sunk further again.

According to stats from the NBA, Wall is shooting just 18.2 percent (6-for-33) from the field in the final five minutes of games when the Wizards are within five points (ahead or behind) of their opponent. He was 0-for-3 in the fourth quarter against Detroit, missing a baseline layup that would’ve put the Wizards ahead with about 12 seconds to play. Nene still delivered with a game-tying shot before Rodney Stuckey’s eventual game-winner, but Wall is the player with the ball in his hands, the same player who missed quarter-ending attempts in three out of four quarters in last week’s loss to Indiana.

“It’s not one guy that’s going to deliver for us,” Wittman said, pointing out that the Wizards did go repeatedly to Nene down the stretch. “It’s situational, who you’re playing, it’s not late on one guy’s hands. I don’t want to put this on John’s hands. Now John is the point guard, and in that process of having a lead, understanding that the screws gotta be tightened down, that we’ve got to execute things offensively and not just play, is his responsibility.”

Wall said he is putting pressure on himself, but he almost always takes a tactical, analytical point of view rather than getting emotional.

“When we lose these types of game,” he said, “it’s on me as a point guard and a leader to get the best sets that we have and the best players that we have. All we can do is get the ball to them and myself or anybody, just try to make the shots, and we make them sometimes, and then sometimes we’re not making them and then we’re giving up too many offensive rebounds when its late in game – it’s not just the bigs; it’s the guard off help rebounding too.”

Jordan Crawford has rediscovered his groove without Nick Young breathing down his neck. For the first time in his career, Crawford has at least 20 points in six consecutive games. With 20 point against the Pistons, he improved his scoring average in March to 17.2 points per game. There are still plenty of times when he chooses a tough look for himself over kicking it out to a teammate, but he’s also averaging 1.5 steals per game this month, a reflection of his keen eye for passing lanes and consistent effort at the defensive end of the floor.

Crawford’s increased role on the floor hasn’t been met with an increased presence in the Wizards locker room after games. He prefers to dress quickly and say only a few comments, if any at all, to convey his thoughts and particularly his frustrations with losing. He barely talked at all about himself after last night’s loss.

“We’re not playing consistent the whole game,” Crawford said. “We’re not playing with that aggression. We play not lose, and that’s why we lose all those games instead of win them.”

Brandon Knight had the highlight of the game late in the fourth quarter. Leaping high over a seated Greg Monroe (10 points, 10 rebounds), the rookie point guard soared into the second row of seats, and sent the ball back through his legs. But it never got back into the court, and Knight spilled a tray of full water and Gatorade cups onto himself and his teammates.