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Wizards vs Raptors Recap: Wizards dominate the Raptors and win, 138-117

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Wizards pull-off the upset victory over the Toronto Raptors

This was an extremely fast-paced game, more accustomed to the Wizards’ style of play. The Wizards are currently 8th in the league in pace, while the Raptors are 24th. Despite what the season trends have dictated, the Raptors pushed the pace more tonight since they are without their big man Jacob Poetl.

Unfortunately for Toronto, a fast-paced game is not their strength. When the Wizards can get out on the run and limit turnovers, then they are usually at their best. Tonight was that moment.

This game went back and forth for much of the first 3 quarters. The Wizards were able to build a 8-point lead a few times in the 1st half and lead at half by 11, but the Raptors would answer with a run of their own to keep it close.

This game got blown open in the 4th as the Wizards opened up a 20-point lead, thanks to some big 3s and outstanding defense. The two key stat tonight was fast break points and 3-point shooting. Wizards led fast break points 21-8. Behind the arc, the Wizards shot 46 percent from 3 (15 for 33), while the Raptors shot 33 percent (12 for 36).

This team is built to play fast. When you combined that with great shooting they can compete. That was displayed tonight in one of the best wins of the season over an impressive Raptors squad.

Wizards win this one 138-117. Sunday, they will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday evening.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...vs-raptors-recap-wizards-dominate-the-raptors
 
Wizards vs. Suns preview: Washington goes for third straight win on Monday

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The Washington Wizards have had a a good couple games recently — this is truly their best stretch of the season, with both offense and defense clicking. They even just had their first winning streak! Well, just 2 consecutive wins, but, hey, after sporting the worst record in the league just a short week or two ago, that’s major progress.

Can they grab another win against the upward trending Phoenix Suns?

Here’s the preview

Game Info​


When: Monday, December 29 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injury Report​


Wizards: Kyshawn George, Corey Kispert, Cam Whitmore (Out)

Suns: Ryan Dunn (Day-To-Day, questionable), Grayson Allen, Jalen Green (Out)

Pregame notes​


Winning streak — This is so unusual, that I had to mention it again. The Wizards have won 2 straight for the first time since March 15, 2025. This is definitely reason for celebration if you are a Wizards fan (which you probably are if you are reading this tonight…).

No Kyshawn, No Problem? — The Wizards got a great game from George a couple of nights ago against the Raptors, to the tune of 23 points in 9-for-13 from the field. Then, he was out against the Grizzlies, and the Wizards still managed to win without him. Against the Suns, he will still be sidelined. It will be interesting to see how the Kyshawn-less Wizards cope with the more physical Suns.

Defense, Defense — In a beautiful analysis piece, Kevin Broom broke down the defensive scheme the Wizards have been following of late. It would be nice to see if this scheme is something they can implement consistently, especially against a team coming with its guard up—the league has now seen the Wizards can beat you if you let your guard down.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...hington-wizards-phoenix-suns-nba-game-preview
 
Wizards Can’t Rebound, Fall to Phoenix Suns

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The Wizards’ defensive game plan against the Phoenix Suns was straightforward: make life tough for Devin Booker, and make Someone Else generate offense.

The plan worked — Booker needed 23 shots to score 22 points and produced an offensive rating (individual points produced per possession used x 100) of just 97 (league average is 115.8).

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Someone Else turned out to be third-year guard Collin Gillespie, who torched Washington for 25 hyper-efficient points and assists. Gillespie had an ortg of 174 on a 22.9% usage rate.

The Suns also bludgeoned the Wizards on the offensive glass, grabbing 20 offensive boards and outscoring Washington 26-10 in second-chance points.

Where the win over the Memphis Grizzlies was a roller coaster affair with wild swings in scores as both teams went on extended runs, this one was close for a half before the Suns pulled away in the second.

With the loss, the Wizards record dropped to 7-24. The Suns’ record moved to 19-13, and they sit 7th in the competitive West.

Thoughts & Observations​

  • The Wizards’ defensive scheme for Booker was aggressive. The Suns run wing actions (isos and pick-and-roll) for Booker, and when they did, Washington consistently had an extra defender leave his man at the top of the circle and come all the way to the strong-side elbow to help. That effectively closed driving lanes and forced Booker to pass.
  • Phoenix seemed interested in targeting Jamir Watkins in the first quarter, which seemed an odd choice considering Tre Johnson was also on the floor.
  • Cool possession for those interested in viewing — at 7:52 in the first quarter, Booker tried to drive on Bilal Coulibaly from the right wing. Coulibaly did an excellent job keeping his body between Booker and the basket. Alex Sarr timed weakside help superbly to deter a Booker field goal attempt. Booker made a nice pass to the weak corner, the ball got rotated, and Gillespie ended up hitting a three. While the result wasn’t ideal, the point of attack defense and the defensive process was very good.
  • Like basically every team the Wizards face, the Suns were content to let Coulibaly shoot threes. Coulibaly made them pay a bit, knocking down 2-5.
  • The Wizards seemed content to let Dillon Brooks shoot threes, a strategy I endorse. One of my favorite moments was when Coulibaly left Brooks to help on the strong side on Booker. Carrington had the close-out rotation, and he started the arms up sprint to the perimeter when the ball went to Brooks out top. Then he recognized who had the ball, hit the brakes, and went back to Royce O’Neale. (Brooks missed.)
  • One first quarter possession made me grouchy — CJ McCollum brought the ball up the court, rejected a screen, and took a reasonably-defended pull-up three. It’s the kind of shot that would have been okay to take with under seven seconds on the shot clock. It was a terrible shot early in the shot clock after zero passes and no attempt to work with teammates to get a good shot.
  • Tre Johnson had a great shooting night — 9-12 from the floor, including 5-5 from three-point range. A couple of those threes were from extreme range. One was a banked in bomb from out top. That kind of night.
  • Justin Champagnie does many things well, and I think he should get a bigger role with the team. That said, he committed a dumb and costly foul when he grabbed Booker in transition with 26.8 seconds to go in the first half. It was properly ruled a take foul, which gave Phoenix a free throw and the ball. When Booker hit the free throw and a jumper, the Suns to close the half with a three-point play and a 7-point lead.
  • Phoenix had 13 offensive rebounds and 23 second chance points in the first half. The Wizards had two and zero.
  • Sarr has had a very good second season, but last night’s game was one of his worst of the year. He managed just 2 points and 2 rebounds in 25 minutes. He contributed 4 assists and some blocks, but he was thoroughly outplayed by fill-in starter Oso Ighodara. The Wizards were outscored by 28 points in Sarr’s time on the floor.
  • Former Wizards great Jordan Goodwin stuck it to his old team, with 14 points, 4 offensive rebounds, and a couple steals. Goodwin had flashed some offensive rebounding ability while with the Wizards but has become one of the better backcourt offensive rebounders around since moving on.
  • The Suns broadcast, featuring former Wizards great Rex Chapman, would have been much better with 97% less complaining about the refs. Chapman had some good anecdotes, solid analysis, and strong insights into players, but good lord he whined incessantly about the officials.
  • For what it’s worth, Chapman shared that Suns talent evaluators had a high opinion of Wizards rookie, Jamir Watkins — especially Watkins defensive potential.

Four Factors​


Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

  • eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
  • OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
  • TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
  • FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORSSUNSWIZARDSLGAVG
eFG%49.0%54.5%54.4%
OREB%37.0%22.5%26.4%
TOV%10.6%15.9%12.9%
FTM/FGA0.1580.2050.217
PACE95100.0
ORTG122107115.8

Stats & Metrics​


PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Tre Johnson254914727.5%4.2267-18
Marvin Bagley III224413116.4%1.115111
CJ McCollum28569831.1%-3.0110-20
Bub Carrington275312116.0%0.5772
Will Riley21419923.9%-1.7860
Bilal Coulibaly275210225.0%-1.848-10
Justin Champagnie275310818.0%-0.747-5
Malaki Branham20399112.3%-1.254-5
Alex Sarr25496315.1%-3.922-28
Jamir Watkins17345512.3%-2.6-73-3
AJ Johnson120.0%0.003
Anthony Gill120.0%0.003
SUNSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Collin Gillespie295617422.9%7.540013
Royce O’Neale336418511.3%5.017818
Jordan Goodwin285511721.5%0.2183-1
Oso Ighodaro30591709.1%2.916227
Dillon Brooks336412126.8%0.89226
Nick Richards17347420.1%-2.870-10
Devin Booker35709731.0%-4.13022
Isaiah Livers101914714.3%0.895-7
Rasheer Fleming1223888.8%-0.651-4
Jamaree Bouyea13255129.8%-4.8-201-8
Khaman Maluach120.0%0.00-3
Nigel Hayes-Davis120.0%0.00-3
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...087/wizards-cant-rebound-fall-to-phoenix-suns
 
Wizards at Bucks preview: Washington heads to Milwaukee to take on Giannis

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The Washington Wizards pay a visit to a desperate Milwaukee Bucks team on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.

Game info​


When: Thursday, Dec. 31st at 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Injuries: For the Wizards, Kyshawn George (hip), Corey Kispert (hamstring), and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) are out, while Malaki Branham (calf) is questionable.

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) is out.

What to watch for​


The Wizards saw their first winning streak of the season (two games!) snapped Monday against the Phoenix Suns. They have a chance to get back on the winning track against a Bucks team that just got Giannis Antetokounmpo back after the two-time MVP recovered from a weeks-long injury.

The rims at Fiserv Forum have not been friendly to the Wiz kids over their last several visits. Washington has lost its last five games on the road against Milwaukee, with four of those defeats being by double figures.

Corey Kispert and Anthony Gill are the only holdovers left on the team since it last beat the Bucks on the road. Rui Hachimura erupted for 26 points in that contest, coming off the bench alongside Deni Avdija. Tommy Sheppard was still the GM at the time. The Wizards are also 1-10 at the venue since the 2018-19 season.

Tre Johnson, who was 16 years old the last time the Wizards won at Fiserv, has a chance to build off his career-high 24-point performance Monday against the Suns.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...hington-heads-to-milwaukee-to-take-on-giannis
 
What would you like to see the Mystics accomplish in 2026?

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Yesterday, I wrote a list of things I would like to see the Washington Wizards accomplish in 2026. Today, I will do the same thing, but for the Washington Mystics.

Here are some of the things I would like to see the team do:

  1. Sign a marquee free agent — This is one thing that I think the current front office will not do and that doesn’t seem to be their intent either. There is also precedent for the Mystics doing this because they started the 2025 season with the holdovers from 2024, though Ariel Atkins was traded. Because of the high amount of player movement that will likely happen because of an anticipated Collective Bargaining Agreement, some player on every team will see a big payday with a salary that will probably at least $1 million. The question is just who the Mystics’ marquee free agent will be.
  2. Sonia Citron or Kiki Iriafen make an All-WNBA team — If the Mystics are a playoff team in 2026, it’s likely that Citron or Iriafen will be among the league’s biggest producers. Hell, they were last season. That said, Citron and Iriafen also were part of a team that lost 10 games in a row last year after the team surprised others early on.
  3. Shakira Austin makes the All-Star team — Austin was part of the 2018 FIBA World Cup team that won the Gold Medal and then won another Gold Medal with Team USA in the FIBA 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup earlier this fall. She still hasn’t made an All-Star team of her own yet. If Washington makes the playoffs in 2026, she would likely be part of that. Austin is a restricted free agent in 2026 and would almost definitely be protected from the upcoming expansion draft. On top of that, even if she signs an offer sheet, Washington would probably match it.
  4. The Mystics are at least a middle of the pack team led by youth from start to finish — The 2025 Mystics team should have made the playoffs and used it as a selling point for 2026. Instead, when every WNBA team is rebuilding, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them try to replicate the Wizards’ ongoing rebuild. In a league that remains at 12 teams for eternity? That is not a bad path. But in a league that will expand to 18 teams by 2030? That’s a recipe to make the Mystics a “have not” franchise like they were for most of their history before the Mike Thibault years.

What accomplishments would you like to see the Mystics make in 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/mystics/67100/washington-mystics-wish-list-2026
 
Should the NBA make any changes to its draft lottery rules?

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Before the Christmas holiday began in full earnest, TrillBroDude, SB Nation’s feed administrator, wrote a quick post for you all to chime in on.

The Feed post was inspired by a piece Shams Charania of ESPN wrote. NBA teams were discuss in various proposal to modify the draft. The lesser extremes included limiting “protected draft picks” when picks are traded to a more fundamental change where teams, no matter how bad, cannot pick in the Top 4 for consecutive years.

For the Washington Wizards, the current rebuild is heavily centered around selecting multiple top picks in the draft. And that centers around losing a lot of games in the short run. Other teams have also rebuilt with this approach, especially the Philadelphia 76ers for much of the 2010s.

I don’t see the NBA implementing all of these ideas. But no matter how much the rules change, there will always be some teams looking to take advantage of the rules. And for the Wizards, the best way to improve long term is by losing most games in the short term in exchange for a potential opportunity to be a winner in the long term.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/nba-...lottery-change-possibility-washington-wizards
 
Paint-Packing Defense Flusters Bucks in Narrow Wizards Road Win

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Happy New Year!

The Washington Wizards closed out 2025 with a fun and somewhat unexpected road win against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

They squeaked out the 114-113 win despite going nearly six minutes of the fourth quarter without scoring a field goal, and despite Antetokounmpo getting a decent look on a buzzer beater that he missed.

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The story for the Wizards starts with a strong game from big man Alex Sarr, and big contributions off the bench from Bub Carrington (hitting four consecutive threes in the final period), Justin Champagnie and Marvin Bagley III. It includes a solid defensive game plan that sought to limit Antetokounmpo, and actually did — despite gaudy box score stats from the two-time NBA MVP.

Washington’s defensive strategy involved primary defense by Bilal Coulibaly, who battled to prevent Antetokounmpo from establishing position close to the basket and getting clean catches at preferred spots on the floor. Coulibaly did about as good a job as can be done against a determined Antetokounmpo, who has no quibbles banging, pushing, and shoving opponents — or letting loose with a stray elbow or three.

The Wizards sent loads of helpers when Antetokounmpo attacked, and while the Bucks great made shots from the floor and got to the free throw line, he also committed a whopping six turnovers. He finished the game with splashy headline stats — 33 points and 15 rebounds in just 28 minutes — his PPA (see below) was 145 (which is low for Antetokounmpo). The Greek Freak posted an offensive rating of 110 on staggering 50.7% usage.

One surprising stat for a team with Antetokounmpo: just 42 points in the paint. This is a reflection of Washington’s emphasis in limiting opponent scoring inside in recent weeks.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers should get a “thank you” card for his contributions to the win for his decades-long (and inflexible) strategy of eschewing offensive rebounding. The Wizards have been susceptible to teams in that area all season, and while the Bucks 26% offensive rebounding percentage was on the high side for them, their overall reticence to pursue offensive misses undermines their overall offensive efficiency.

Thoughts & Observations​

  • The Wizards started the game with Coulibaly seeking to front Antetokounmpo. The Bucks made that strategy more challenging by emptying the weakside corner to prevent backside help. They were abetted a bit by the refs, who did not call Antetokounmpo for pushing off.
  • Impressive bounceback game from Sarr — 20 points, 11 rebounds (4 offensive), and 4 blocks. His offensive efficiency was “good enough” — 113 on 29.5% usage.
  • Add the Bucks to the list of teams daring Coulibaly to shoot. They had Antetokounmpo theoretically assigned to defend the Wizards wing. He was more than happy to concede three-point attempts to Coulibaly. Who did not make the Bucks pay (1-4 from deep).
  • Tre Johnson did not have a strong game overall, but his shooting is impressive.
  • CJ McCollum played a solid game, including hitting the game-winning shot with 1 second on the clock. That shot was made possible in part by the way travels are called (or not called) in the 2025-26 NBA.
  • That tapping sound you’re hearing throughout the NBA is from scouts updating scouting reports to tell their players to stick with Bub Carrington at the three-point line. He hit four straight threes to start the fourth quarter. He was 4-7 for the game, raising his season average to 44.9% — among the 10 best three-point shooting percentages in the NBA so far this season.
  • Champagnie played a stellar game (again) — 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks. He led the team in playing time.
  • AJ Johnson was part of the rotation, and he was pretty good — 8 points on 5 shots in 16 minutes, plus a couple assists and a steal. I didn’t love the turnovers, but maybe those will improve as he gets real minutes.
  • Former Wizards player Kyle Kuzma looks lost in Milwaukee.
  • The Wizards led the Bucks 23-4 in points off turnovers and 17-5 in transition points.

Four Factors​


Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

  • eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
  • OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
  • TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
  • FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORSWIZARDSBUCKSLGAVG
eFG%53.7%55.1%54.4%
OREB%26.0%26.2%26.4%
TOV%10.0%15.1%12.9%
FTM/FGA0.1380.1690.217
PACE100100.0
ORTG114113115.9

Stats & Metrics​


PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Bub Carrington244912829.2%1.72386
Justin Champagnie336813713.1%1.81714
Alex Sarr285911329.5%-0.5163-5
CJ McCollum326711521.3%-0.1127-13
Marvin Bagley III204113417.0%1.21546
Tre Johnson285910619.4%-1.179-5
AJ Johnson163211419.2%-0.113914
Will Riley122414313.4%0.91851
Bilal Coulibaly25529421.6%-2.5214
Khris Middleton23476112.7%-3.3-70-7
BUCKSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Myles Turner316513714.5%2.017212
Giannis Antetokounmpo285911050.7%-1.9145-4
Ryan Rollins398211519.1%-0.2923
Bobby Portis204213024.1%1.4149-11
Kevin Porter Jr.398210420.8%-2.07310
AJ Green34701279.2%0.76812
Gary Harris11232586.4%2.1136-10
Kyle Kuzma21449316.4%-1.726-5
Gary Trent Jr.153209.3%-3.5-123-12
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...nse-flusters-bucks-in-narrow-wizards-road-win
 
Yes, the Wizards will likely keep their pick, so just enjoy these wins

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After opening the season with a 3-20 record for the third straight year, the Washington Wizards are playing their best basketball of this rebuild.

The Wizards are 5-4 over their last nine games, with wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors — three of which coming on the road.

Before this stretch, Washington had held an abysmal 36-151 record throughout its two-plus-year rebuild. But behind strong play from its young core, the team has stacked quality performances and closed out games it had struggled to in the past.

WHAT A BUCKET TO CLOSE OUT 2025 https://t.co/3hnQgoO0Cl pic.twitter.com/3LbcVnsTAa

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 1, 2026
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And yet, even with Washington’s improved output, a large portion of its fanbase is consumed with the possibility of the team losing its 2026 top-8 protected first-round pick with 50 games remaining in the regular season.

For context: As part of the John Wall for Russell Westbrook trade, the Wizards sent their protected 2026 first-round pick to the Houston Rockets. After bouncing around the league, that pick landed with the New York Knicks, who will receive Washington’s 2026 first-rounder should it fall outside the top-8 in the 2026 NBA draft lottery.

But if the Wizards finish with a bottom-four record this season, they are guaranteed to pick inside the top eight, thus ensuring they keep their pick.

It just hit me like a ton of bricks.

The Wizards are going to accidentally lose their top-8 protected pick this year aren’t they?

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 1, 2026
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I understand the logic behind the concerns of those worried fans. In a year equipped with what is considered the best draft class in decades, the Wizards need to keep their pick. But should they do so at the expense of developing their young core and teaching them how to win? I don’t think so, especially when these wins have the team nowhere close to climbing out of the league’s bottom four.

Even with five wins in their last nine games, the Wizards are still three games worse than the Brooklyn Nets, who own the league’s fifth-worst record. Not to mention the season isn’t even halfway done yet, and finishing outside the league’s bottom four doesn’t mean they can’t keep their pick.

The team with the fifth-worst record only has a 0.7% chance of falling outside the top eight picks. Sixth-worse? 3.2%. So, even if the Wizards finish slightly outside the bottom four, chances are they would still retain their pick.

Instead of harping on keeping a draft pick the team is still in firm control to retain and understands the importance of keeping, Wizards fans should focus on the positives. They should focus on Tre Johnson setting a franchise record with nine-straight made 3-pointers over his last two games.

They should focus on Bub Carrington, who is now shooting 44.3% 3PT on 4.4 attempts per game, making four consecutive triples en route to another 20-point performance in Wednesday’s 114-113 win over the Bucks. They should focus on Alex Sarr tallying another double-double with four blocks, his final denial coming on Giannis Antetokounmpo in the closing seconds of Wednesday’s win.

Washington’s last three lottery picks tonight:

Bub Carrington:
20 PTS | 5 AST | 5 REB | 6-11 3PT

Alex Sarr:
20 PTS | 11 REB | | 4 BLK | 7-15 FG

Tre Johnson:
14 PTS | 2 AST | 4-7 3PT pic.twitter.com/w2IiTlwMkc

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) January 1, 2026
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Wizards fans have had it rough in recent years. From giving Bradley Beal a supermax extension to picking Johnny Davis top-10 to a pair of sub-20 win campaigns, the light at the end of the tunnel has looked dim.

But now, that light shines bright.

Kyshawn George, Johnson and Carrington are all shooting above 40% from three. Sarr is one of the NBA’s best rim protectors at 20 years old. Bilal Coulibaly is molding into an impressive perimeter defender. Will Riley and Jamir Watkins have shown flashes in their rookie seasons. Justin Champagnie and Marvin Bagley III have proved to be terrific signings on team-friendly contracts thanks to General Manager Will Dawkins.

The young Wizards are surging. They’re developing. They’re finding their way. And this fanbase should happily go along for the ride, without worrying about whether or not the team will retain its first-round pick. Because chances are, it will. And you’ll be happy you enjoyed these wins.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...kely-keep-their-pick-so-just-enjoy-these-wins
 
Happy New Year!

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IT IS MIDNIGHT IN WASHINGTON! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO 2026!

First, I hope that all of you are enjoying a safe and happy start to a new year. Don’t worry about setting all the New Year’s Resolutions just yet. That’s something you can worry about next week when you are back at work for a five-day workweek or school when you’re back from winter break.

As for the Washington Wizards, they are not playing today, after facing off against the Milwaukee Bucks late last night. If anything, they probably started the new year together in Milwaukee. At any rate, the Wizards’ first game of 2026 the calendar year is tomorrow when they host the Brooklyn Nets. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET.

Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/community-bulletin-board/67116/happy-new-year
 
Wizards easily handle Brooklyn, win 119-99

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Going into this one, the Wizards were riding one of their best stretches of the past several seasons.

They had just beat the Bucks in Milwaukee with a CJ McCollum buzzer-beater, they’ve won four of their last seven, and three of their last four games. With a 119-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets, make that four wins in the last five — an impressive turn-around for the young Wizards.

Especially impressive has been the rise of Alex Sarr, who had a couple terrific games lately. More on that below.

The Wizards stormed out of the gates against the lowly Brooklyn Nets, hitting all kinds of shots from all kinds of ranges, and built a 37-24 first quarter lead when Justin Champagnie hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.

McCollum continued right where he left, connecting on 4-5 from the field for 10 points in just eight first quarter minutes.

The second quarter remained balanced, with the Wizards edging the Nets 27-26 in that period, with the teams going to the locker rooms with the Wizards up by 14.

The improved defense from the last several games carried over to this first half.

The third quarter was pretty much a replay of the first quarter, with the Wizards outscoring the Nets 32-23 and take a 23-point lead. The scent of garbage time came early in this one.

In the fourth quarter, the Nets took a take page out of the Wizards book and had one of those patented Wizards’ “come-from-behind” runs to cut the lead a bit, but never seriously endanger the outcome of the game.

McCollum scored a calm 17 points in 31 minutes (that does seem a lot given how much garbage time was available for the youngsters). Sarr had another solid game with 19 points and 6 rebounds. The leading scorer was Champagnie off the bench. He scored 20 on 9-12 shooting from the field.

For the Nets, nobody had more than 14 points. Interestingly, four different players scored 14: Ziaire Williams, Day’Ron Sharpe, Terance Mann, and Drake Powell.

Next, the Wizards continue their home stand against the the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...179/wizards-easily-handle-brooklyn-win-119-99
 
Happy New Year to the Wizards faithful! Nice to see Washington closing out 2025 on a high note.

That Milwaukee win was something else. Watching Sarr continue to develop as a rim protector is encouraging - 4 blocks including that denial on Giannis at the end is exactly what you want to see from a young big. And Bub Carrington shooting nearly 45% from three on the season? That's legitimately impressive for a young guard.

I get why some fans are nervous about the pick protection situation, but the article makes a good point - even if you finish with the fifth-worst record, you're only looking at a 0.7% chance of falling out of the top 8. That's basically a rounding error. The development these young guys are getting from actually winning close games is probably more valuable than obsessing over tank positioning at this point in the season.

The Brooklyn game looked pretty comfortable from the box score. Champagnie has been a nice find - 20 points on 9-12 shooting off the bench is solid production. Seems like Dawkins has done well finding complementary pieces on reasonable deals.

From a Jazz perspective, we've been through the rebuild process ourselves, so I can appreciate what Wizards fans are going through. The key is finding those foundational pieces you can build around, and it looks like Washington might have a few of them in Sarr, Carrington, and potentially Johnson. The shooting development across the young core (George, Johnson, and Carrington all above 40% from three) is particularly promising.

Minnesota on Sunday should be a good test. Curious to see how Sarr handles Gobert on the other end.
 
Bigger, Faster, Better: Wizards Overpower Shorthanded Nets

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Early in the Wizards’ win over the Brooklyn Nets, a thought popped to mind for the first time this season (and probably last season too): The Wizards are better than these guys.

It surely helped that Michael Porter Jr. — the Nets best offensive player — and Nic Claxton — their best defender — were out. But of the available players (the Wizards were missing Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert), Washington was bigger, more skilled, and more athletic. And that showed all night as the Wizards rolled to a comfortable 119-99 win.

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The topline numbers (96 defensive rating) suggest the Wizards defended well, and they did…for the most part. Brooklyn got plenty of open threes, which is normal for a Washington opponent because the Wizards prioritize protecting the paint. The Nets bricked those looks, hitting just 6-29 (20.7%) from deep.

I did see some things that didn’t thrill me. Nets guards were able to drive effectively, generate paint touches and kick out to shooters. Bub Carrington could not stay in front of Nolan Traore, who somehow generated five assists on a night Brooklyn shot 39.5% from the floor.

Brooklyn’s offensive rebounding numbers were low (just nine offensive boards and a 19.1% offensive rebounding percentage), but I didn’t like how often Nets players were able to get their hands on missed shots. On several possessions, Wizards players corralled the ball after it had been tipped several times.

Nits picked, the Wizards won easily and have played better in recent weeks. As Yanir Rubinstein wrote in the recap, Washington has now won four of their last five games. That feels good, especially when wins are powered by youngsters.

Thoughts & Observations​

  • Other players put up more impressive numbers, but I really loved the way Sarr played in this one. He scored inside, hit a three, produced four assists, and blocked five shots. The Nets struggled inside against him all night.
  • Also, I kinda liked Sarr committing a flagrant foul when he got annoyed with Clowney.
  • Bilal Coulibaly shot just 2-8 from the floor, but finished with a 180 PPA because of 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. He hit 7-8 from the free throw line and committed 2 turnovers. His offensive rating was 108 (league average is 115.9 so far this season) on 21.0% usage. The Nets didn’t learn key lessons regarding Coulibaly — don’t try to pass over him, and don’t try cross-court passes when he’s on the floor. He will steal the ball.
  • Justin Champagnie continued to make the case that he should be a full-time starter. In 25 minutes, he scored 20 points (9-12 from the floor) and grabbed 7 rebounds. One of Washington’s defensive challenges is having anyone to get a rebound when Sarr is protecting the rim. Champagnie goes a long ways towards addressing that challenge.
  • Marvin Bagley III was outstanding again, which makes sense considering the Nets were out of big men. Still, he bullied smaller Brooklyn players for 12 points (5-5 from the floor) and 8 rebounds in 16 minutes.
  • Tre Johnson is such a deadly shooter, I’m actually surprised when he misses now. Last night: 5-7 from the floor, 2-3 from deep. The Wizards need to figure out how to get him more shots. Maybe also brainwash him with video loops of Stephen Curry and Reggie Miller off-ball actions.
  • One of my favorite Johnson moments came early — 8:13 mark in the first quarter, Johnson side-stepped an aggressive closeout and drilled the wide-open three. That’s quality stuff, and he did it perfectly.
  • The Nets were terrible, but their broadcast is top 2-3 in the NBA for me. Noah Eagle does a great job on play-by-play, and Sarah Kustok is a top-shelf analyst. I still think Marques Johnson (Milwaukee Bucks) is the best in the business, and Antonio Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans) is superb too. Kustok is up there with them, though.
  • YODA (my stat-based draft prospect analysis tool) was not a fan of Traore, but I can see why scouts like him. He’s super-quick, and the Nets coaching staff is urging him to drive regularly. The Wizards could not keep him out of the lane when he did.
  • YODA was a fan of Drake Powell (the Nets picked him about where I had him rated), and he looked excellent against Washington. He hasn’t been that good this season, but his physical tools are elite. That doesn’t mean he will be good, but he at least has a chance.
  • YODA was really not a fan of Egor Demin, and he did not impress me at all last night.
  • One item of concern from my notes: Will Riley had a difficult time dribbling anywhere near Brooklyn defenders. He coughed the ball up three times. I thought to myself he needs to be stronger with the ball. I suspect the issue is simple: he needs to get stronger — something perfectly normal for a 19-year-old.
  • One example of the Wizards commitment to protecting the paint: in the second quarter, Champagnie left Powell alone at the weakside wing to come all the way to the restricted area and help on a cutter. Powell got a wide-open shot, but that’s a trade the Wizards are willing to make.
  • Brian Keefe’s habit of not going to the bench late in a win is interesting. Brooklyn conceded the game with 3:04 remaining. Keefe stuck with rotation guys to the end — the Wizards used just 10 players in the game, and they all played at least 14 minutes.

Four Factors​


Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

  • eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
  • OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
  • TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
  • FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORSNETSWIZARDSLGAVG
eFG%43.0%57.1%54.4%
OREB%19.1%35.1%26.3%
TOV%15.5%17.5%12.9%
FTM/FGA0.2910.1520.216
PACE103100.0
ORTG96116115.9

Stats & Metrics​


PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Justin Champagnie255314922.6%4.02767
Marvin Bagley III173621714.8%5.435418
Alex Sarr296113023.7%2.0194-1
Bilal Coulibaly296310920.8%-0.918010
CJ McCollum316712120.8%0.714418
Tre Johnson286013212.4%1.214718
Will Riley19408628.9%-3.54410
Khris Middleton23499219.9%-2.31015
AJ Johnson14296316.0%-2.5-103
Bub Carrington26567419.0%-4.5-502
NETSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Day’Ron Sharpe306411421.0%-0.2146-13
Ziaire Williams245111320.7%-0.3181-12
Nolan Traore265512519.2%0.9161-5
Drake Powell224716415.6%3.5185-17
Terance Mann245111823.4%0.382-11
Danny Wolf35759615.0%-2.238-5
Egor Demin28607621.7%-5.131-8
Jalen Wilson16353113.9%-4.2-45-8
Tyrese Martin5111733.9%-3.6-252-8
Noah Clowney28605827.6%-9.5-67-12
E.J. Liddell370.0%0.00-1
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...ter-better-wizards-overpower-shorthanded-nets
 
Wizards vs. Timberwolves preview: Washington goes for third straight win on Sunday

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The Washington Wizards have had a terrific stretch of games recently — this is their best stretch of the last couple seasons, with both offense and defense clicking. They even just had a couple winning streaks! Sure, they’re just two-win streaks, but, after sporting the worst record in the league just a few weeks ago, that’s progress.

The Wizards have not won three in a row since February 5, 2025. In that little winning streak they beat both the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. They just beat the Nets… so, maybe history repeats itself? Maybe?

Game Info​


When: Sunday, Jan. 4, 6 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

How to watch: LeaguePass

Injury Report​


Wizards: Kyshawn George, Corey Kispert, Cam Whitmore (Out)

Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr. (Out)

Pregame notes​

  • Winning streak — This is so unusual, I had to mention it again. The Wizards have won four of their last five, and five of their last eight. This is their best stretch in almost two years. Let the good times continue.
  • Alex Sarr is here — The Wizards are getting good rim protection as well as solid scoring from Sarr. He is changing shots left and right, and is stabilizing the Wizards defense.
  • Defense, Defense — In this beautiful analysis piece, Kevin Broom broke down the defensive scheme the Wizards have been following of late. In the last 10 games the Wizards are allowing less than 114 points a game, while just two weeks ago they were allowing on average over 126 a contest. Let’s see if this is just a schedule fluke or a new trend/identity/culture shift (big words, I know).
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...hington-goes-for-third-straight-win-on-sunday
 
Wizards Blasted By Timberwolves, 141-115

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So much for playing better. The Wizards hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves — on the fourth game of a four-game road trip and the second night of a back-to-back — and got vanquished, 141-115. The game was not that close.

The Timberwolves scored at least 33 in every quarter and coasted to a 134 offensive rating. Anthony Edwards scored 35 points in 30 minutes, and then sat the entire fourth quarter. He engaged in activities like giving his game jersey to a young woman wearing a Matilda shirt (apparently Edwards’ favorite movie) and signing autographs for kids.

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Rudy Gobert dominated inside against fellow countryman Alex Sarr, going for 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He pushed around Sarr at will inside, gathering six offensive boards.

For the Wizards, there’s not much good to say. CJ McCollum led the team with 20 points in 22 minutes. Khris Middleton scored 10 points on 6 shots.

No one effectively defended anyone really. In the early going, it looked like Bilal Coulibaly might do a passable job on Edwards, but the Timberwolves guard scored on an array of drives, threes, and transition plays. Coulibaly’s defensive efforts were thoroughly ineffective.

Four Factors​


Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

  • eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
  • OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
  • TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
  • FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORSTIMBERWOLVESWIZARDSLGAVG
eFG%61.7%55.7%54.5%
OREB%39.5%20.9%26.2%
TOV%13.3%18.1%12.8%
FTM/FGA0.2040.1930.216
PACE105100.0
ORTG134110115.9

Stats & Metrics​


PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
CJ McCollum224813128.3%2.1174-8
Khris Middleton183917312.6%2.8136-6
Tristan Vukcevich132913323.0%1.11275
Justin Champagnie184010614.2%-0.579-23
AJ Johnson132810921.3%-0.41086
Bilal Coulibaly28601168.6%0.040-24
Bub Carrington17388726.4%-2.952-25
Corey Kispert184010426.9%-1.348-26
Will Riley14308922.6%-1.849-2
Tre Johnson27599824.1%-2.516-6
Alex Sarr26577819.7%-4.2-6-16
Marvin Bagley III14309319.1%-1.3-22-23
Anthony Gill51120815.9%1.73307
Malaki Branham71514016.1%0.610511
TIMBERWOLVESMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Anthony Edwards306613632.0%4.332029
Rudy Gobert296417416.1%5.926232
Jaylen Clark286017712.5%4.623019
Jaden McDaniels224818716.2%5.523114
Julius Randle255515025.6%4.817416
Mike Conley132816219.1%2.523510
Naz Reid204411819.7%0.212319
Bones Hyland153413819.3%1.4911
Donte DiVincenzo23497018.2%-4.15728
Johnny Juzang91910123.9%-0.754-9
Leonard Miller11238426.7%-2.015-11
Joe Ingles8182133.8%0.764-7
Rob Dillingham715021.6%-3.9-386-11
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...67209/wizards-blasted-by-timberwolves-141-115
 
Report: Wizards eyeing Trae Young

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The Washington Wizards have emerged as a legitimate trade destination for Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, according to TheSteinLine.

The Wizards have emerged as a legitimate potential trade destination for Atlanta's Trae Young, @TheSteinLine has learned, in a deal construction centered around CJ McCollum's expiring contract.

More to come here: https://t.co/i9CobUR55T pic.twitter.com/k9xOa2DZas

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 5, 2026
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Young, 27, is a four-time All-Star and All-NBA third team point guard who has spent his entire career with the Hawks, leading them to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.

The trade would be centered around CJ McCollum’s expiring contract, according to TheSteinLine. McCollum is due $30.6 million this season and is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

Young has two years remaining on his five-year, supermax contract. He is owed $45 million this season and has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign. The Wizards could absorb Young’s salary, as they are projected to have the league’s most cap space next season.

The Wizards are projected to have an NBA-best $80.9 million in cap space next season, according to Spotrac.

Trae Young has a $49M player option he’ll likely accept.

His contract is expensive, but the Wizards can afford it, especially if Atlanta compensates them for doing so.

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) January 5, 2026
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Injuries have limited the shifty PG to just 10 games this season, with averages of 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game. The Hawks have been much better with Young off the floor. They are 2-8 with Young in the lineup and 15-12 without him.

The Wizards have a glaring hole at PG, one that Young would immediately fill alongside their young core of Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and others.

McCollum’s salary alone isn’t enough to get a deal done. Considering the Wizards likely won’t attach any of their former first-round draft picks in this deal, they will likely have to attach either Corey Kispert, or both Malaki Branham and AJ Johnson, to make the salaries match.

The Hawks would likely have to attach draft capital to entice the Wizards to take on Young’s $49 million salary for 2026-27.

Under general manager Will Dawkins, the Wizards have been in asset accumulation mode — stockpiling young players and future draft picks to make future moves. And while trading for Young would fill a need at PG, it would more so serve Dawkins’ plan of accumulating draft capital, should Atlanta send future picks Washington’s way.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/washington-wizards-news/67226/report-wizards-eyeing-trae-young
 
Wizards vs. Magic preview: Washington continues home stand on Tuesday

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The Washington Wizards have had a terrific stretch of games recently — this is their best stretch of the last couple seasons, with both offense and defense clicking—most of the time. Not in their last game against the hot Timberwolves where the old and defense-less Wizards showed their ugly face again.

Can they turn things back?

Here’s the preview.

Game Info​


When: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

How to watch: LeaguePass

Injury Report​


Wizards: Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore (Out)

Magic: Jalen Suggs (Day-To-Day), Moritz Wagner, Franz Wagner, Colin Castleton (Out)

Pregame notes​

  • Alex Sarr and consistency — The Wizards are getting good rim protection and defense when Sarr is engaged and playing well. Recently he’s had some terrific games (including one with 6 blocks, and another with 20 points against the Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s also had some missing in action games, including one where he scored just 2 points, and in the last game against the Timberwolves where he managed just 3 rebounds in 26 minutes of action. The question of Sarr’s consistency will ultimately make or break the Washington Wizards’ defense.
  • Defense in, Defense gone — In this beautiful analysis piece, Kevin Broom broke down the defensive scheme the Wizards have been following of late. That worked really well for a stretch of 10 games or so. During their stretch of four wins in five games, they had a top five defensive rating. Over the full 10-game stretch, the Wizards allowed less than 113 points a game. Before then, they were allowing more than 126 a contest. But against the Timberwolves, they gave up 141! Let’s see if this was just a fluke or whether their defense is for real.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...iew-washington-continues-homestand-on-tuesday
 
Sarr’s four blocks propels Wizards past Magic, 120-112

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The Washington Wizards held off a late surge Tuesday night to defeat the Orlando Magic, 120-112.

Bilal Coulibaly opened the game with a steal and a slam for two of his seven first-quarter points. The 21-year-old wing drew the Paolo Banchero assignment and guarded him quite well.

Tre Johnson’s streaky jump shot had made headlines in recent days, but it was his playmaking that shined in the opening frame. Johnson found Alex Sarr with a pair of dimes — one for a dunk and another for an open 3-pointer — en route to a 7-0 Wizards run.

Sarr finished with nine points in the quarter as the Wizards took a 30-29 advantage into the second frame. Also spotted during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game: A Trae Young jersey behind the Wizards’ bench.

Spotted behind the Wizards bench tonight: A Trae Young jersey pic.twitter.com/yqnRVcEAs7

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) January 7, 2026
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Justin Champagnie continued to make winning plays in the second quarter. After drilling a pair of triples, the 24-year-old wing grabbed an offensive rebound, put it back up for an easy bucket, then stripped Wendell Carter Jr. before finding Marvin Bagley III for a transition layup to give the Wizards a 40-33 lead.

Sarr re-entered for Bagley and quickly drilled his second triple of the contest before adding four more points to close the half with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Washington entered halftime with a 62-50 advantage thanks to 11 Magic turnovers.

It was a defensive masterclass in the third quarter for the Wizards, led by Bilal Coulibaly’s four steals halfway through the frame. The Wizards scored 14 points off several Magic turnovers to grow a 26-point lead with four minutes left in the quarter.

But the Magic kept fighting. And with 5:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, Washington’s 26-point lead was down to just four. Brian Keefe left the bench in for a bit too long, and Orlando took advantage to tighten the contest late.

With the Magic closing in, Sarr took over down low. The second-year big man earned three of game-high four blocks in the span of three possessions before CJ McCollum drilled a corner three to extend Washington’s lead to nine.

Coulibaly, who finished with 14 points and five steals, grabbed a pair of clutch rebounds as the Wizards closed out their fifth win in seven games.

It took Washington 57 games to reach 10 wins last season. This year: Just 35 after a 120-112 victory over the magic improved the team’s record to 10-25.
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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...our-blocks-propels-wizards-past-magic-120-112
 
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