In the Washington Wizards’ first game at Capital One Arena since January 11, Rui Hachimura, Davis Bertans and Moe Wagner returned from the coveted list. Even with reinforcements, the Wizards fell to the Atlanta Hawks 116-100. After adding 47 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, Bradley Beal committed as many fouls as points (two) in the middle of the first quarter; Beal did not score his first basket until the 7:52 mark of the first.
With Beal being held with just four points in the first, it was Russell Westbrook who led the scoring with seven after 12. Although his top scorer was quiet early in the game, the Wizards went into the break 31-22. Neither team shot the ball well in the first – Washington was 8–25 from the field, Atlanta was 9–24.
In his debut at home, Maryland product Alex Len had nine points from the bench, including two buried at the start of the second. After the Wizards made the game competitive with an 8–2 run, the Hawks counterattacked, attacking 9–3 and forcing a Scott Brooks timeout. As the interval approached, the Wizards reduced the lead to six, 49–43, after Westbrook blew up several defenders in two contests, going from coast to coast. But the second quarter was punctuated by a verbal dispute between Westbrook and Atlanta guard Rajon Rondo, who ended the night with eight points, four assists and who would later be sent off.
With 11 points, the Wizards worked to cut the lead, but after a non-call in a hard blow to Beal, the game started to get out of hand. Robin Lopez suffered a double technical foul and was sent off.
After making his first free throw of the night, the Hawks held the NBA top scorer with just three points – Beal averaged 13.4 points in the third this season. After 36 minutes, Westbrook had a season and time-high 26 points, but the home team lost 89-71.
With Rondo proving to be a plague all night, Westbrook let the irritating guard in his skin and was kicked out at the 10:18 mark of the fourth inning. With Westbrook out and Beal with the lowest mark of the season, 13 points, it looked disheartening to Washington. An 11-0 run in the final stages favored the Wizards, and they even managed to be less than 10 of the visitors. Three consecutive Trae Young, however, effectively ended hopes for the Wizards’ return and froze the game, reducing the Wizards to 3-12. Young scored 41 points, the best in the game.
The next step for Washington is a home meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, which the Wizards defeated 123-122 earlier this month, although the Nets did not yet have James Harden.