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FINAL: Wizards 123 | Kings 111
SCORING LEADERS
Wizards: Bradley Beal (31), Russell Westbrook (25), Davis Bertans (16)
Kings: De’Aaron Fox (33), Buddy Hield (19), Harrison Barnes (18)
SUMMARY
The Wizards closed out their six-game road trip with a 123-111 win over the Kings on Wednesday night in Sacramento. With the win, Washington has now won four of its last five games and snaps a three-game losing streak to Sacramento. Russell Westbrook finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 31 points while De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 33 points. The Wizards now return home for a four-game homestand, their first action in D.C. since April 3.
Washington raced out to an early lead, scoring 42 points in the first quarter on 17-25 (.680) from the field and 3-6 (.500) from 3-point range. Beal led the way with nine points while Westbrook scored or assisted on the team’s first six field goals. The Kings’ offense had some success of its own, shooting 12-24 (.500) from the field, led by 11 points from Buddy Hield. The Wizards closed the first quarter on a 20-8 run and led 42-31 heading into the second quarter. With 7:28 left in the second quarter, Beal knocked down a 3-pointer to put Washington up by 19, the team’s largest lead of the game. The Kings, however, answered with a run of their own, cutting the lead to single digits in a span of just over three minutes. Beal’s 20 first half points and Westbrook’s layup with 1.5 seconds left in the second quarter gave Washington a 70-60 lead at the break.
Scoring on both ends fell off coming out of halftime. The Wizards and Kings combined for just 46 points and 1-9 (.111) from 3-point range in the third quarter. With Washington up by 12 with just under six minutes left in the third, Fox scored six consecutive points to pull Sacramento within six points, but the Wizards closed strong and took a 10-point lead into the fourth. Fueled by 10 points from Westbrook, Washington led by double digits for all but 31 seconds of the fourth quarter and held on to win down the stretch.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
Westbrook records 170th career triple-double
Westbrook entered Wednesday’s game in Sacramento with nine triple-doubles in his last 10 games, averaging 22.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 13.0 assists in that time. With 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, Westbrook continues his march toward Oscar Robertson’s record for most triple-doubles in NBA history. Westbrook now has 170 triple-doubles for his career, 24 of which have come this season, putting him 11 shy of tying Robertson’s 181. He’s now recorded a triple-double in six consecutive games, the fourth such streak of his career, more than every other player in NBA history combined (3). The former MVP nearly notched the triple-double in the first half alone, totaling 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He saved some of his best work, however, for the fourth quarter, scoring the team’s first three field goals on his way to 10 fourth quarter points.
Wizards dominate the rebounding battle
Led by Westbrook’s 15 rebounds, Washington was dominant on the glass against Sacramento. The Wizards finished with 56 total boards, outdoing the Kings’ 31. The 56 total rebounds finished one shy of setting a new season high. Westbrook (15) and Len (10) each grabbed double-digit rebounds while eight Wizards grabbed at least four. Washington’s 14 offensive rebounds led to plenty of second-chance opportunities, though Washington shot just 6-13 (.461) in those opportunities for 13 points.
Fox’s 33 points not enough
With the loss, Sacramento’s losing streak reaches eight games, despite recent standout performances from Fox. His hot streak continued against the Wizards as he finished the night with a game-high 33 points on 13-28 (.464) shooting. Fox’s contributions weren’t limited to scoring – he added five rebounds, six assists and six steals as well.
NEXT UP: Pelicans at Wizards / Friday, April 16 / 7:00 P.M. / Capital One Arena
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT
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