The Wizards strolled into San Antonio on Monday night seeking a season-best six-straight wins. Kristaps Porzingis returned to the court in dominant fashion on both offense and defense and Deni Avdija poured in a career-high 25 points, leading the Wizards to a 127-106 victory over the Spurs. This win was the first road win in San Antonio for the Wizards since 1999, snapping a 22-game losing streak.
DENI "TURBO" AVDIJA'S CAREER NIGHT
Coming into Monday's game against the Spurs, Avdija was playing the best basketball of his young career. He looked like a guy that had put together all of the flashes of talent Wizards fans have seen over the last three years, dominating on defense, cleaning the glass, and finishing at the rim in transition.
On Monday, Avdija took everything up another level. He scored nine points in the first half and then went scorched-earth in the second half, dropping 16 points. Avdija was a one-man wrecking crew in transition, grabbing defensive rebounds and going coast-to-coast while finishing with creativity and finesse at the rim. He poured in 25 points (eclipsing his previous career-high of 21 points) on 10-of-12 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from deep to go along with nine rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal. He also had a game-high +25 plus-minus in 33 minutes of play, and his teammates were loving every second of it.
"He's been heading towards this," said Porzingis. "Things are working for him. He's figuring out his game, like where he's good at, and I love to see it for him. I'm so excited... His energy is contagious for us, and whenever he's hooping, we're a different team."
If "Turbo" keeps playing at a first-class level on both ends of the floor, the Wizards will have plenty more wins coming their way.
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS RETURNS TO ACTION
After missing the Wizards' last three games due to a left ankle sprain, Porzingis was available for Monday night's game in San Antonio, and his return to the court was welcomed with open arms.
On the first possession of the game, the Wizards ran a set play for him, giving him the ball at the top of the key with Bradley Beal curling around the left wing. Porzingis took one power dribble toward Beal before dumping the ball off to him in a dribble-hand-off style of action. Then, as Beal attacked the cup with the ball in his hands, Porzingis rolled to the hoop and was on the receiving end of an easy bounce pass. Porzingis dunked it home with two hands for the first points of the night.
Porzingis kept things rolling after that. On the next possession down, Beal found him spotting up for an open three. Splash. A couple possessions later and Porzingis was darting to the rim, converting on an easy dunk. He scored the first seven points for Washington.
It would be nearly impossible to find a part of the game Porzingis didn't impact positively on Monday night. Whether it was hauling in rebounds, getting steals, swatting shots at the rim, or dishing the rock to open teammates, Porzingis was doing it all. He finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with nine boards, seven assists, five blocks, and three steals in 30 minutes of playing time.
BRADLEY BEAL LOOKING LIKE BRADLEY BEAL
Returning from an injury is never easy. After missing five games with a hamstring strain, Beal's individual play hasn't been up to his usual standard since returning. That's perfectly understandable as he attempts to get his game legs back underneath him and find his rhythm in the offense.
On Monday night, Beal seemed to turn a dramatic corner in his recovery. He was looking for his shot early and often and doing so efficiently. He had a brilliant first half and capped it off with a driving and-one finish with 2.5 seconds left in the second quarter. In the first half, he scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field to go along with four assists and two boards in 15 minutes.
In the second half, the Wizards didn't need Beal's scoring as much as they just needed his presence on the floor. His gravitational pull changes the geometry of the court, making the game easier for his teammates. Beal ended the night with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from deep to go along with seven assists, seven rebounds, two blocks, and only two turnovers in 30 minutes of action.
FULL TEAM EFFORT
While Porzingis, Beal, and Avdija all had fantastic individual games, it takes more than that to keep a winning streak alive. On Monday, the Wizards got complete performances from everyone that touched the floor.
Kyle Kuzma did a little bit of everything, scoring 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Corey Kispert knocked down timely threes over and over again, totaling 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Monte Morris dropped 11 points of his own, including two huge threes down the stretch to put the proverbial nail in the Spurs' coffin. And Kendrick Nunn continued his impactful run off the bench, scoring 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. Seven different Wizards scored in double figures and the squad dished out 32 assists, leading to the assertive 127-106 victory.
"It was good for us to get another road victory," said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. "I liked the way we were able to accomplish that. Another night with high assists. We had seven guys in double figures. Our defense got progressively better throughout the game, especially in that fourth quarter."
With a 76ers loss on Monday evening, the Wizards now own the NBA's longest active winning streak at six games. They currently sit at 24-26, good for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, and will look to push their winning streak to seven games Wednesday night in Detroit.