By Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports)
The Washington Wizards beat the Sacramento Kings 109-102 on Thursday night at Capital One Arena. Here are three things that stood out from the game...
Signature win
The Wizards (12-58) had beaten a few teams with winning records this season, but none quite as good as the Sacramento Kings (40-29), whom they held off on Thursday night to secure possibly their best win of the season so far.
It took a bit of a rollercoaster to get there. Washington built a 19-point lead midway through the second quarter, only to see the Kings climb all the way back to tie it before halftime. The Wizards then rode a 28-22 third quarter to set the stage for the victory.
Turnovers were key throughout. Playing without Tyus Jones, one of the best in the league at protecting the ball, the Wizards were able to overcome 19 turnovers, including seven in the second quarter alone. A strong night defensively helped their cause, as they held the Kings, the eighth-highest scoring team in the NBA, to 16.1 points below their average.
The win was No. 12 on the season for the Wizards and their fifth at home. They play seven of their next eight games at Capital One Arena.
Avdija and Kuzma
The Wizards got two starters back from injury in Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma, though it did not exactly make them whole. They were still without Jones, Marvin Bagley III, Bilal Coulibaly, Landry Shamet, Eugene Omoruyi and Isaiah Livers. Still, both Avdija and Kuzma were welcomed additions and they made a significant impact in their return.
That started early as both players had nine points apiece by the end of the first quarter. Avdija ended up with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists, shooting 7-for-14 from the field and 2-for-3 from three. Kuzma had 31 points, six rebounds and five assists on 13-for-22 shooting overall and 3-for-7 from long range. He found a lot of success in the paint, getting the Kings to bite on pumpfakes and deftly finishing through traffic.
"It's all about playing together, playing hard and playing smart. I think that was probably one of the smartest games we've played all year start to finish," Kuzma said.
Holmes on the glass
The Wizards enjoyed a decisive advantage in the rebounding department despite several reasons to expect otherwise. Rebounding has not been a strength for the Wizards this year and they were missing Bagley III, their starting center. Meanwhile, rebounding has been a plus for the Kings, who boast the NBA's leader both in rebounds per game and total rebounds with Domantas Sabonis.
Yet, the Wizards came out on top, 44-35, in the rebounding margin. Much of the thanks goes to Richaun Holmes, who had an excellent game on the boards against his former team. Holmes grabbed 16 rebounds for the night, including eight in his first six minutes on the floor.
"Richaun was huge, he was huge for us all night," Kuzma said. "I'm sure he really wanted this win obviously playing in [Sacramento]. We really just played off his fierceness tonight."
Holmes' 16 rebounds were his most in a game since November of 2021 when he was playing for... the Kings. He also had six points, two assists and a block while he helped the Wizards hold Sabonis to 14 points with five turnovers.
Up next: The Wizards stay home to host the Toronto Raptors at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.