With their playoff seeding virtually decided, the Washington Wizards used their second-to-last week of the regular season to get their star some much-needed rest. With only two games on the week’s slate, Washington took full advantage to give all-star point guard John Wall a pair of games off after a grueling season. The Wizards appear to have rebounded from a late-season slump and are now back on track as a solid but unspectacular team. Working veterans back into the rotation from injuries appears to be the next task on head coach Randy Wittman’s job board, and he’s been doing his best to get players like Bradley Beal, Nêne, Paul Pierce and Kris Humphries back into action. The Wizards survived a week without their star and the AFRO recaps the week that was for the Washington Wizards.
April 8: Wizards Rout 76ers 119-90
Resting Wall on the road against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on a Wednesday night seemed like a good idea before tipoff even started but once the game began, the move turned out to be genius. Washington barely broke a sweat against Philadelphia, totaling 70 first-half points on their way to a 119-90 win. In Wall’s absence, reserve point guard Ramon Sessions flashed some of the ability that the Wizards’ brass envisioned in trading for him in February. Sessions tallied 19 points and seven assists, while Beal (21 points, three assists) and Marcin Gortat (18 points, seven rebounds) filled in to help Washington put seven players into double-figures. Washington shot a franchise-record 65.3 percent from the field as Wall and Nêne, who also rested, watched on from the sidelines.
April 10: Brooklyn Nets Whip Wizards in 117-80 Win
Sitting Wall against the 76ers worked like a charm but against the playoff-hungry Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, the idea didn’t work quite as well. Brooklyn center Brook Lopez put on an offensive clinic in the opening quarter, scoring 14 points to match Washington’s team output as the Nets raced to a 31-14 lead. It got worst for Washington as the game went on as the Nets kept their tight playoff hopes alive with a 117-80 win. Gortat added 21 points and 16 rebounds but the Wizards were simply no match for the home-favored Nets. Lopez finished with 26 points and nine rebounds, and reserve forward Bojan Bogdanovic shot 6-of-6 from long range and scored a career-high 22 points. Brooklyn’s win allowed them to continue their hold on the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a week left. The loss seemingly eliminated the idea of Washington moving into a higher seeding for home court advantage, but with Wittman’s decision to continue to rest Wall, perhaps Wittman and the team are simply comfortable to take their act on the road in the opening round of the playoffs.
Next – Washington will host the Atlanta Hawks on April 12, travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers on April 14, then play against the Cavs in Cleveland on April 15.
Playoffs Look Ahead: the NBA playoffs begin April 18, but while it’s a lock for Washington to take the fifth seed, what isn’t quite clear is who the Wizards will be playing. Both Toronto and Chicago share the same record with 47 wins and 32 losses. The Wizards have gone 0-3 against Toronto this season while many around the District are still celebrating Washington’s playoff success last April against the Chicago Bulls. Chicago, however, is a stronger team this season with the return of Derrick Rose and the additions of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic and the improvement of shooting guard Jimmy Butler. Either matchup would be a difficult one for the Wizards, but Washington’s final two of three regular season games are against the East’s top two seeds in Atlanta and Cleveland. The Wizards should use those contests as preparation for the level of basketball they’ll be seeing once April 18 arrives.