The jaw and audacity continued to build up in a game that Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce called “messy” and “wild”.
The same was true of technical fouls – nine in total – and expulsions – three in all, including for Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo, while Atlanta maintained NBA scoring leader Bradley Beal with a season low, and Trae Young’s 41 helped the Hawks overcome the Washington Wizards 116-100 Friday night.
“I just need to stay focused,” said Danilo Gallinari of Atlanta. “Personally, I don’t have all that energy to spend on techniques and talking to referees and stuff.”
Westbrook, who equaled Beal with 26 points and exchanged several words with Rondo, blamed himself for being dismissed in the fourth period.
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Rondo waved goodbye when Westbrook left.
“I can’t afford to go down to anyone’s level. It’s not my character,” said the former NBA MVP. “I take full responsibility for all this. I don’t agree with the second technology, but it is neither here nor there.”
Wizards coach Scott Brooks also felt that Westbrook should have been called for a personal foul there, saying that if “you are going to pay that way, you better call them early in the game”.
But referee Mark Ayotte said a technique was justified because Westbrook pushed Rondo, calling it a physical provocation.
Young scored 18 in the fourth period to avoid a turnaround by Washington, who lost by up to 23 in the third, but was 10 in the final period.
“It just gives us an attack mentality of several layers and levels,” said Pierce.
Subject to commercial speculation, Beal averaged 35.4 points for the Wizards team’s bottom runner who was short of players due to problems with COVID-19, recently had half a dozen consecutive games postponed and is now 3-12 .
But with Cam Reddish playing a difficult save, Beal missed all eight attempts on Friday and entered the fourth period with just 13 points.
“I just couldn’t do it,” said Beal. “I told the guys that I didn’t give them anything. I have to improve a lot.”
He drew one of six coaches who whistled in Washington, who lost center-back Robin Lopez in the second half after two straight.
“Many technicians – on both sides,” said Beal.
The Wizards have been 0-4 since returning from a series of postponements that left them without playing for 13 days. Six players tested positive for COVID-19 and three others were put aside after contact tracking.
Rui Hachimura, Davis Bertans and Moe Wagner returned Friday. Brooks hopes Deni Avdija, Troy Brown Jr. and Ish Smith are back for Washington’s next game.
“We understand that no one will feel sorry for us,” said Beal. “We need to dig out of that hole.”
TIP-INS
Hawks: De’Andre Hunter left in the first half with an injury to his right knee. … Clint Capela’s 14 rebounds gave him 14 straight games with at least 10.
Assistants: Westbrook’s four assists increased his total to 7,394 and moved him beyond Maurice Cheeks (7,392) to 13th on the NBA career list.
T ‘EM UP!
Westbrook and Rondo were separated by an official and both assessed technical fouls within one minute of the first half. Beal received a coach in the third quarter, upset after no foul was called when he suffered a violent fall on the offensive side. Soon after, he gaped at Rondo, who was on the Atlanta sideline and was not in the game at the time. … Lopez was out of the game in the third quarter when Beal was called in for a late game before attempting a free throw. With a medical mask pulled down under his nose and mouth, Lopez said something to an officer that woke his technicians one after another.
NEXT
Hawks: Open a four-game homestand on Monday against the Lakers.
Wizards: Host the Nets on Sunday.