The Wizards are now on their first two game win streak in over a month when they beat Brooklyn on March 7th, and Orlando on March 9th. Not only is this win coming against a far deeper, and more talented team, but the Wizards came out very strong in the last three-quarters after a weak first in order to seal the deal.
The last two victories have been by a combined 46 points, and both win have come against the Grizzlies, who are second in the Western Conference, and the Hornets, who are fighting for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It’s not like these games did not matter to either of the opponent of the Wizards, so there was a hard-fought effort from the opposing teams.
The Grizzlies may have been without Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and Tony Allen, but the Wizards were also without Nene. Yes, the win may have not been against the full Grizzlies squad, but some credit still has to be given to the Wizards for beating a team that still had Jeff Green, Kosta Koufos, Vince Carter, and Jordan Adams. They obviously are not as talented as the usual key players for Memphis, but still posed a threat to the Wizards chances of pulling this game out.
With the frontcourt of the Grizzlies sitting this one out, Marcin Gortat was able to have a game in which he dominated inside the arc. Gortat scored 22 points while shooting 10/16, and adding in 9 rebounds. This doesn’t really come as a surprise, as he was expected to dominate the paint with Gasol and Randolph taking the night off for rest. With Nene also out, the team knew Gortat was going to be the one making plays around the basket, and carry a load of the offensive game.
John Wall carried a large part of the offense, as he scored 21 points on 8/11 shooting, game out 6 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds. Wall performed up to expectations, as he did not have to deal with Tony Allen or Mike Conley, whom are both considered to be top-tier defensive stoppers at the guard position.
The Wizards look to extend this hot streak to three games when they play the Kings on Saturday, and should be able to do so without many problems. Boogie Cousins will pose as a tough match-up with Gortat, but whoever can control the paint in that game will come out victorious. It will be interesting to see if the Wizards will find a way to show up in a game where they are expected to dominate in front of their home fans.
