Victory over the Milwaukee is source of optimism, ends 8-game slide
The Wizards turned the tables on the visiting Milwaukee Bucks in every way imaginable to snap their season-worst eight-game losing streak in a 100-85 victory in front of 16,108 at Verizon Center.
The victory was refreshingly unusual in multiple ways, not the least of which was that it came against an opponent that expected to contend for an Eastern Conference playoff spot this season. It also provided a much-needed morale boost for a team that believes it is getting better despite its brutal recent schedule.
“Every day we’ve been going at it, talking trash with one another, getting in each other’s butts,” said Nick Young, who had a game-high 26 points. “Today it showed out there.”
Young, who has made his living this season knocking down jump shots, instead racked up a trio of dunks that began when he turned the corner and threw down a right-handed jam in the face of Ersan Ilyasova to give the Wizards (14-37) a 42-32 lead with 3:34 left in the second quarter. Young then scored 13 points in the third quarter, completing a three-point play and jamming over Ilyasova again to kick off a 16-4 run just after halftime.
The Bucks (21-30) were the team with the premier center, Andrew Bogut, but he is still recovering from a gruesome elbow injury last season. His 12 points and 11 rebounds were no match for JaVale McGee, who snapped out of his own personal funk with 16 points, 17 rebounds — five more boards than he had accumulated in his previous four games — and three blocks.
John Wall (15 points, six assists, seven rebounds, two steals), who picked John Salmons (14 points) clean and rose for an easy dunk late in the second quarter, showed no signs of jet lag after his quick jaunt to Lexington on Tuesday to see Kentucky, his alma mater, topple Tennessee. Wall and Kirk Hinrich (10 points) forced Brandon Jennings to take 24 shots to get his team-high 20 points.
“Seeing [the Wildcats] win might’ve brought some excitement for me today,” Wall said.
Jennings had eight points in the fourth quarter as the Wizards allowed a 22-point lead to shrink to 12, but the Bucks didn’t have a single reserve score in double figures and were 5-for-12 overall at the line, where the Wizards finished the night 18-for-20. Cartier Martin (12 points) also was huge off the bench, knocking down four of his crucial career-high five 3-pointers in the final period.
