Friday was a special show, as the two worst teams in the NBA play each other every season. But Friday night's loud, enthusiastic and enthusiastic crowd, announced at 15,023, showed that even in a disastrous rebuilding year, the Wizards fan base remains loyal and strong. certified.
The Wizards (14-60) are coming to an end on what is shaping up to be their worst season on record since the team moved to Baltimore in 1963. There are eight games left in the season, and they need five wins to even the score. The team with the fewest wins in the 2008-2009 and 2000-2001 seasons. The Pistons tied an NBA record with 28 consecutive losses earlier this season and own the league's worst record at 13-61.
Still, the Wizards arrived at a winnable game half asleep, trailing by 19 points at halftime.
“It's all about how you approach these games,” guard Corey Kispert said. “If you're not ready to make a play when the ball goes up, any team in the league can beat anyone.” “We don't have enough wins. We're not good enough to go into a game that we're not ready for.”
A particularly tough matchup appeared to separate die-hard fans from casual fans who were looking forward to seeing the Wizards come back from behind in the third quarter.
They took an 81-80 lead with 10 minutes left, but a combination of Wednesday's overtime game and roster deficiencies due to injuries meant the Wizards were gassed and couldn't get the win.
With the Wizards trailing by six points with 47 seconds left, some in the crowd began booing the home team after Jordan Poole missed a 3-pointer. In the fourth quarter, he was 0-for-10 from beyond the arc.
“We didn't start the game in the right frame of mind, and that's on me,” interim coach Brian Keefe said. “… They fought back in the second half. We played better, but it was too little, too late. We have to play the full 40 minutes.”
Kispert led the way with 23 points, including five 3-pointers. He was the only Wizard with offensive juice in the first half.
Deni Avdija added 18 points and 12 rebounds, narrowly missing out on his first career triple-double, but that would have been trivia in itself. He recorded nine assists.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 33 points and helped the Pistons end an eight-game losing streak.
“That's not what we've been building around. That's not how we played the last two weeks,” Kispert said. “…Certainly, this is a step backwards.''
Here's what else you need to know about the Wizards' loss.
Rookie Bilal Koulibaly spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since the team announced on March 18 that he would miss the remainder of the season with a fractured right wrist. The 19-year-old spent the final weeks of his rookie season on the bench with other injured Wizards players, recently wearing a hard cast on his arm (and on Thursday saying he has about three more weeks to go). (he said he would wear one).
But, as with all things, Koulibaly is approaching the first major injury of his career with a positive attitude.
“It was definitely frustrating knowing that I wouldn't be able to play the rest of the season,” Koulibaly said. “But it is what it is. I'm working on things I can work on with my left hand, my body and everything else to come back better next year.”
Koulibaly said he is building momentum for summer training. He still can't handle a ball or shoot with his right hand, but he can run and lift weights.
In the meantime, he's trying to make the most of a different kind of NBA education.
“I'm watching the games and learning,” he said. “I'm seeing things that I didn't see when I was playing, yeah. It's a chance to get better. I'm not mad about that.”
