The Washington Wizards lost 107-88 to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, giving John Wall a taste of revenge in his first-ever game against his old team.
This game was very high-energy starting out with the Wizards getting an early seven-point lead thanks to some efficient offense and good defense, but in the 2nd quarter the wheels came off for the Wizards on both ends. Rockets end up taking a 4 point lead into halftime.
The 2nd half got off to a much slower start with both teams combining for only 9 points in the first 6+ minutes. Pace of the game got slower and the play became sloppy for both teams. Wizards just could not get things going on offense.
In the fourth, once Wall was inserted into the game, Wall got the Rockets back on track. He hit Oladipo for an open 3 and that shot effectively put the game out of reach for the Wizards.
Takeaways
John Wall
John Wall was of course the story of the game, even before opening tip. He showed a lot of flashes of his play in DC, hitting mid-range shots, scintillating drives to the basket and smooth plays out of pick and rolls. Wall finished with 24 points and 5 assists.
The game was fiery and emotional for Wall. He and Westbrook got chirpy towards the end and ended up getting a double technical for their troubles.
Russell Westbrook
There was a debate among the broadcasters during the game that seems like a common refrain with Westbrook. Stats line, more often than not, look impressive, but Westbrook’s impact on the game was overall not good. He flashed some brilliance at moments, but he also had some bad moments. He stumbled a number of times driving to the basket and threw the ball away forcing passes that simply were not there. No matter how you look at it, he just doesn’t look right on the court. Westbrook had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, but he also had 6 turnovers. Those turnovers were costly for a team that struggled to score all night.
Struggling Offense
Wizards’ offense did not look good at all tonight besides the 1st quarter. In the first quarter, the team scored 29 points. For the rest of the game they averaged a shade under 20 points per quarter. The team finished shooting 39 percent from the field, 19 percent from 3 and 20 turnovers. None of those bode well.
Whether it’s a tired short handed team, or just bad offense, the team simply did not put together a good performance and they are in danger of having a winless road trip.
Next Game: Wednesday, at New Orleans Pelicans, 9 p.m. ET.
