The Washington Wizards continue to look like a completely different team in February compared to the version that got off to a 6-17 start to the condensed season. Despite a sloppy first half, the home team exerted their dominance over the lottery-bound Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half on their way to a convincing 128-112 victory. Easy money for those sports bettors that saw the hot Wizards were favored a mere four points. In 21 minutes off the bench, Deni Avdija had just two points on 1-for-6 shooting and a couple of rebounds.
Bradley Beal putting in work this third quarter pic.twitter.com/1eGQYiccs1
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) February 28, 2021
After being held to 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting in the first half, Bradley Beal and the Wizards turned it up a notch in the third quarter to take control of the game. In less than nine minutes of third-quarter play, Beal had 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting and four assists. Washington turned eight Minnesota turnovers into 14 points to secure a double-digit lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game. Minnesota’s Josh Okogie talking trash to Beal early in the second half awakened the All-Star starter.
“It definitely fueled a fire up under me,” Beal explained. “I was definitely having a rough game, legs weren’t in it, but he started chirping and saying he didn’t foul me or that he doesn’t foul me. That was just mind boggling to me because I just felt like the only way he can guard me is by fouling so I kind of took it personal and just turned it up from there.”
David Adkins taking Deni Avdija through drills pre-game pic.twitter.com/VIVRCvBWAu
— Neil Dalal (@NeilDalal96) February 27, 2021
Offensively, Avdija has struggled of late with just four points over his last three games and not reaching double-digits since the win at Miami at the beginning of February, 13 games ago. It may frustrate his fans that Avdija is not a bigger focal point of the offense, but that should not be unexpected for a rookie that joined the team less than four months ago. Franchise star and leader Bradley Beal perfectly understands the development process Avdija is embracing.
Deni Avdija attacking the rim pic.twitter.com/F9uRshPDf8
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) February 28, 2021
“Play winning basketball, that’s all we need Deni to do and that’s all he’s been doing,” Beal began. “I tell him all the time when I’m sitting next to him on the bench or on the court, your whole year this year is for you to learn. We’re not sitting here saying we need Deni to go score 30 points a night, we’re not sitting here saying we need Deni to go guard the best player on the other team. We need Deni to just continue to be ready, know his role, know personnel of the other guys on the other team, and be ready to shoot the ball. He’s in a slump, whatever you want to call it, I don’t call it that. He’s a rookie, he’s going to have ups and downs, he’s going to put a lot of pressure on himself, we’re going to have high expectations of him, his family probably does, you guys [the media] do. It’s going to be tough on him. He has to realize that this whole year is about having fun and learning and taking those in stride and getting better at it.”
Washington will head to Boston for the second night of a back-to-back on Sunday for their last road game of the first half schedule. The Wizards could be short-handed at point guard with Russell Westbrook yet to play in a back-to-back in different cities this season and Raul Neto suffering a left knee contusion that Scott Brooks does not think is serious.
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