Mike Muscala

wasmsqueri

Coach Unseld and Mike Muscala spoke to the media following practice on Tuesday afternoon.

media-availability-wes-unseld-jr-and-mike-muscala-01-02-24

Media Availability: Wes Unseld Jr. and Mike Muscala | 01/02/24

none

Luke Askew

Behind massive performances from Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma, the Washington Wizards picked up a big-time win on their home floor over the Brooklyn Nets. Final score: Wizards 110, Nets 104.

Roughly four minutes into the first quarter, Kuzma gathered in a defensive rebound and hit Tyus Jones with an outlet pass. From there, Jones did what great point guards do: He kept his eyes up and patiently waited for the pieces to fall into place in transition. After one dribble, Jones saw Avdija streaking up the court and floated up a no-look lob pass. Avdija caught the ball, contorted in mid-air, and laid the ball off the glass perfectly with a reverse finish.

That was Avdija's first bucket of the game, and from that point on, he was in his bag, playing with a high level of confidence and swagger.

Avdija was doing a little bit of everything in the first half. With defensive rebounding being a point of emphasis heading into the game, he was consistently patrolling the glass and hunting down loose balls. When the rock was in his hands, he was creating good looks for his teammates using his ball-handling, change-of-pace, and basketball IQ. And then, when the time was right, he took advantage of what the defense was giving him and scored it himself.

That shot gave the Wizards a one-point lead and some crucial momentum heading into halftime.

Avdija finished the game with a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double to go along with six assists, one steal, one block, and only one turnover. It was arguably his best game as a Wizard.

"I felt like I was choosing my spots today," said Avdija after the game. "I was aggressive. I was just trying to make the right play. I felt like the ball was in my hands a lot today, but honestly, I was just looking at the final goal, which is to win."

COREY KISPERT & MIKE MUSCALA ANCHORING THE BENCH

Washington's bench played a pivotal role in securing the win on Friday night. Coulibaly was impactful defensively and helped clean the glass. Landry Shamet made all the right plays (including some big shots). And Delon Wright did what he always does: Defends at a high level and orchestrates the second unit offense.

While the entire bench was good, Corey Kispert and Mike Muscala were two gigantic X factors.

Kispert had a mild first half (five points) but came alive late in the third quarter after Brooklyn had gone on a run and built a nine-point lead. In just 2:34 of third-quarter action, Kispert dropped seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including a massive three to cut the Nets' lead down to two points heading into the fourth.

Kispert finished the game with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 shooting from deep in 17 minutes of playing time.

The Nets' frontcourt poses problems for every team they play. They're big, athletic, and skilled. With Danilo Gallinari sidelined due to injury, the Wizards looked to Mike Muscala to play the backup five and knew they'd need big rotational minutes from him. What they didn't know ahead of the game is that Daniel Gafford would find himself in foul trouble early in the second half and Muscala would have to play his season-high in minutes.

Muscala was ready for the challenge. All night long, he scored with efficiency, stretched the floor, anchored the defense, blocked shots, and kept the positive momentum rolling.

After playing 11 minutes in the first half, Muscala checked in with roughly nine minutes left in the third quarter and never checked out. He played the final 21 minutes of the game and helped the Wizards bring home the W. He finished the night with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. He also had a team-high +21 plus/minus.

"To his credit, that's a guy who stays ready," said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. about Muscala. "That's a tall task for anybody. Not just to be able to compete at that level but to make impactful plays. He was around the rim, using the rule of verticality, trying to put himself in position to impact the play. Throw in a couple of threes tonight and it does change the complexion of the game."

For the first three quarters, Kuzma was up and down. He was still impacting the game in positive ways (defending, rebounding, getting others involved). His shot just wasn't falling at the rate it normally does. But when it came down to closing time, Kuzma was the one to get the job done.

With 5:39 left in the game, Kuzma subbed in for his first fourth-quarter action, and it was go time right away. The game was tied when he checked in, but just two and a half minutes later, he had poured in nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and the Wizards had built a seven-point lead -- one they'd never relinquish.

"In that closing stretch there, we tried to matchup hunt a little bit and [Kuzma] was able to take advantage of it," said Unseld Jr. "I thought we were disciplined in our execution and our spacing which allowed him to play. And then obviously he stepped up and made big plays for us."

Here's how Kuzma described it in his own words after the game:

"That's how I want to play. When you think about top options on every team, that's how they play... Outside of the first and the fourth quarters -- the second and third -- I was really just out of rhythm. Took a bunch of grenade shots at the end of the shot clock just trying to make something happen. My teammates really just trusted me. They gave me the ball when I demanded it, and it feels good when your teammates trust you."

The Wizards are back in action on Sunday afternoon when the Atlanta Hawks come to town.

recap-avdija-kuzma-fuel-wizards-to-110-104-victory-over-nets

Recap: Avdija, Kuzma fuel Wizards to 110-104 victory over Nets

Highlights from Mike Muscala's 20 points (8 rebounds) in the Wizards 131-106 victory over the Knicks in preseason action on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

highlights-mike-muscala-puts-up-20-points-vs-knicks-10-18-23

Highlights: Mike Muscala puts up 20 points vs. Knicks | 10/18/23

Coach Unseld and Mike Muscala spoke to the media following the team's preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets.

media-availability-wes-unseld-jr-and-mike-muscala-10-12-23

Media Availability: Wes Unseld Jr. and Mike Muscala | 10/12/23

Mike Muscala spoke to the media during the Washington Wizards 2023 Media Day on October 2nd at Capital One Arena.

media-availability-mike-muscala-10-02-23

Media Availability: Mike Muscala 10/02/23

wasatemperly

WASHINGTON, DC –&nbsp;The Washington Wizards announced today that they have acquired guard Tyus Jones, forward Danilo Gallinari, forward/center Mike Muscala, and the rights to Julian Phillips, the 35th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, in a three-team deal that sent center Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics.&nbsp; The Wizards have subsequently agreed in principle to trade Phillips’ draft rights to Chicago.

“Tyus, Danilo and Mike are talented players accustomed to winning,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins.&nbsp; “They bring professionalism, high basketball intelligence, and a team-first mentality.&nbsp; We are delighted they are Wizards.”&nbsp;

Jones, an eight-year NBA guard, is coming off a career season with Memphis, where he set career highs in points (10.3), rebounds (2.5) and assists (5.2) per game in 80 games played (22 starts). On the season, Jones dished 417 assists, the second-most for Memphis, to just 74 turnovers, giving him the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA last season at 5.63.&nbsp;&nbsp; He has appeared in 535 career games with Minnesota and Memphis and holds career averages of 6.8 points, 3.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game.&nbsp;

Gallinari was drafted sixth overall by the New York Knicks in 2008 and has also played with Denver, the L.A. Clippers, Oklahoma City and Atlanta in his 13-year NBA career. He signed with the Celtics during the 2022 offseason before suffering a season-ending left ACL injury while playing for the Italian national team in a FIBA World Cup qualifier in August. Gallinari last appeared during the 2021-22 season with the Atlanta Hawks, where he averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 66 games. He holds career averages of 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds over 728 games while shooting .382 from three-point range.

Muscala is a 10-year NBA veteran that has played for Atlanta, Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City and Boston. He holds career averages of 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting .457 from the field and .379 from three-point range. Muscala was traded from Oklahoma City to Boston at the 2023 trade deadline and played 20 games for the Celtics to close the season, shooting .472 from the field and .385 from beyond the arc in 16.2 minutes per game.

Porzingis, who was originally acquired by Washington at the 2022 trade deadline from the Dallas Mavericks, averaged 22.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in 82 total games with the Wizards.&nbsp;

“Kristaps is a true professional and an exceptionally talented player who established a lasting reputation during his time with the organization,” said Dawkins.&nbsp; “We thank him for his meaningful contributions and we wish him great success in Boston.”