The Washington Wizards could not keep up with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons on Thursday in a 117-95 defeat at Capital One Arena.
The Wizards’ offense looked out of sorts in the first quarter. The team’s only source of points over the game’s first five minutes came on a trio of midrange jumpers for six points. Things only got worse as the Pistons went on a 22-5 run to close out the opening period, leaving the Wizards behind 35-14 after one.
Tristan Vukcevic went nuclear in the second quarter. He made
his first five shots, with each attempt being more of a heat check than the last. The third-year big man helped key a 16-0 run that got the Wizards back into the contest. Vukcevic tallied 13 points, all in Q2, as his team trailed 60-52 at the half.
The Wizards could only tread water in the third, with the lead hovering around the 10-11 range for most of the quarter. The Pistons, playing without Cade Cunningham, turned up their defensive intensity in the fourth. Washington had twice as many turnovers (10) as made baskets (5) in the closing 12 minutes as Detroit ran away with a 117-95 victory.
Vukcevic led the way with 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench on a night when Alex Sarr shot a miserable 1-of-12 from the field. Big Eiffel finished with just two points.
The Wizards’ trio of rookies put up numbers in the one-sided affair. Will Riley tallied 15 points with four three-pointers, while Tre Johnson scored 12 points on a respectable 5-of-11 clip. Jamir Watkins once again showed his defensive impact with 3 steals and 3 blocks to go along with his 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Washington goes from one top seed to the next as they host the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.
