Marcin Gortat

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Wizards will celebrate Polish Heritage Night on Friday, March 24, when the team hosts the San Antonio Spurs at 7:00 p.m.  

Prior to the game, fans can visit section 115 to visit a Polish heritage display in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As part of the celebration, all in-arena LED boards will feature the Polish flag during Polish Heritage Night programming. Ambassador Marek Magierowski, Poland’s ambassador to the United States, will also be in attendance.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Throughout the game, a special military recognition honoring Polish veterans will take place. A lucky fan will also get to participate in a shooting contest with Marcin Gortat during a timeout, with the contestant taking home a signed Gortat jersey. A short video of Wizards’ players trying Polish food will also be played. Fans will also see a video on prominent Polish athletes, including UFC fighter and former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz and FC Barcelona player Robert Lewandowski.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fans wishing to attend can purchase tickets at https://fevo.me/wizards-polishheritage-23. Tickets purchased through the link will receive a Polish heritage inspired t-shirt while supplies last (attached).&nbsp;

Prior to the game, Marcin Gortat will be available to the media at 6:00 p.m. in the Wizards interview room. Location is subject to change. Media wishing to attend should RSVP to credentials@monumentalsports.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Wizards to Celebrate Polish Heritage Night on March 24

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Photos: Marcin Gortat 2017-18 Season in Review

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Marcin Gortat 2017-18 Season in Highlights

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Marcin Gortat Exit Interview 2018

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Photos: Wizards vs. Raptors - Game 6 (4/27/18)

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The Raptors defended home court on Wednesday night, re-taking the series lead against the Wizards 3-2 with a 108-98 win. In a game that much closer than the score indicated, the Raptors used a 24-6 run in the fourth quarter to take Game 5.

DeMar DeRozan’s 32 points on 12-of-24 shooting led the Raptors to victory. Delon Wright had 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and hit a big triple with 3:38 to go to put the Raptors up 97-93. Toronto made 11-of-25 (44.0%) of their 3-pointers, while the Wizards only made 5-of-26 (19.2%).

In 44 minutes of action, John Wall led the Wizards with 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Wall played the entire second half and made 10-of-21 field goals and 6-of-7 from the line. Bradley Beal added 20 points for the Wizards while Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 14 off the bench and Marcin Gortat recorded a double-double.

Wall led the Wizards with 12 points in the first half, as the team trailed 48-47 despite only shooting 37.5%. Washington had 14 fast break points in the first 24 minutes, running on offense and pushing the pace as much as possible. Toronto was flat offensively in the first half, but DeRozan’s 20 points kept them ahead going into the locker room.

Washington had nine offensive rebounds in the first half, but only scored seven second chance points on 3-of-11 second chance field goal attempts. That would become a story for the entire game, as the Wizards finished with 14 offensive rebounds, but only had 10 points to show for it on 4-of-14 shooting opportunities. The team’s inability to score off extended possessions would end up costing them in the long run. Still, the Wizards out-rebounded the Raptors 50-35 in the game in what was a major positive in the game.

Both teams started scoring at will in a back-and-forth third quarter, with each team shooting over 50.0% and scoring 31 points. Wall and Beal had 10 and nine points respectively in the third, while the Raptors made 5-of-9 triples.

The Wizards opened up an 87-82 lead after an Oubre slam with 8:52 to go in the fourth, but the Raptors responded with an 8-0 run to retake the lead 90-87. From there, Toronto finished the game by forcing the Wizards into six of their 18 turnovers and holding them to 8-of-24 shooting overall in the quarter.

Down 3-2, the Wizards must win on Friday in D.C. to force a Game 7 on Sunday. Tip is still to be determined based on the results of other games around the league, but will be at either 6:00pm, 7:00pm, or 8:00pm.

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Wizards fall in Game 5, 108-98

The Wizards evened the series with the Raptors on Sunday night, coming back from down 14 points in the second half in 106-98 win. Bradley Beal and John Wall combined for 58 points to lead the Wizards in the Game 4 victory, while DeMar DeRozan scored 35 for Toronto.

Beal finished with 31 points in 31-plus minutes after being in foul trouble most of the game. The first time All-Star made 10-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-7 from deep and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. He fouled out with 4:58 left in the game, but the Wizards were able to lock the Raptors down the rest of the way and get the win. Washington ended the game on a 14-4 run en route to the win.

"I just gathered my emotions, gathered my thoughts and told my team we were going to win, regardless," Beal said. "I knew if we still had John [Wall] in the game I loved our chances. He did a great job of leading the guys and icing the game with a nice jumper in the corner and getting stops. So, that was definitely a maturity level that I hit, and a face of adversity that I had to overcome, just gather myself and be a leader, being vocal and keeping everyone encouraged in the game.”

Wall led the charge once Beal fouled out, scoring eight of his 27 points in the final five minutes of the game. He added 14 assists, six rebounds, and three steals in another key performance, willing the Wizards to victory with a 3-1 deficit looming with a loss. His defense on DeRozan down the stretch anchored the team defensively and was the on-court leader the team needed in a tight situation.

"When Brad went out, I knew I had to do whatever it took: guarding DeMar DeRozan, making plays, scoring the ball and passing the ball," Wall said postgame. "I just wanted to do whatever, so that we could advance to Game 5, tied 2-2.”

“You have to have resolve to win in this league,” Scott Brooks said about the comeback and the last five minutes of the game. “We’ve had some tough moments this year with John [Wall] missing half the season, but we found it and it put us in a position to make the playoffs through resolve.”

The Raptors got out to a 15-4 start and controlled the game in the first quarter, getting to the line at will. DeRozan attempted 12 free throws in the opening 12 minutes, but did not make a field goal. Players were hearing the whistle constantly, as the game slowed down with a lot of foul calls. In the first half, Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, Mike Scott, Markieff Morris, and Beal all had two fouls early on.

Toronto led 51-40 at the half, holding the Wizards to 16-of-47 (34.0%) shooting and outscored Washington 17 to four in the fast break. The Raptors’ defense was dominating the game, but the Wizards had an answer in the second half.

Sparked by Otto Porter Jr.’s quick eight points in the beginning of the third quarter, leading a 13-2 run to bring the Wizards all the way back after trailing by as many as 14. The Wizards would match their first half total with 40 points in the third quarter, making 15-of-23 (65.2%) shots including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. The game was knotted at 80-80 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors started the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run, once again taking control of the game. The Wizards would respond, however, putting stops together and tying the game at 90-90. Beal would foul out soon after, but Wall and the Wizards played tough defense and made the right plays to get the win. Marcin Gortat, Kelly Oubre Jr., Morris, and Porter all made huge plays down the stretch to help Washington’s All-Star backcourt finish the game.

The series continues on Wednesday in Toronto for Game 5. Tip is set for 7:00pm as one team will take a 3-2 advantage.

“We were down 2-0 to the number one seed,” Oubre said postgame. “We're the eight seed. We could've imploded last game and let them go up 3-0 so that we would not have a chance but instead we made it back 0-0 so now it's a series of three. We're going back to Toronto and we got to take care of business.”

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Wall, Beal will Wizards to Game 4 win, 106-98

Wizards - Raptors Postgame Locker Room (Game 4) - 4/22/18