He was a DNP in Wednesday's season-opener at Toronto. With Beal being out, that opened the door for rookie first round pick Corey Kispert to play for the first time. But, hey, who can blame him for getting excited? Kispert's NBA debut Wale may need to hire a getback guy like some NFL coaches have these days. Rapper Wale was sitting courtside in a yellow beanie and got up from his seat, stepping onto the floor to celebrate. Bertans stayed in front of him and contested a long range shot as the clock expired. For the game, he dropped 17 points and shot 4-for-9 from long range, including a big three in overtime to give the Wizards the lead.īertans also had a nice defensive stop in the third quarter when he was left to guard rookie Chris Duarte in isolation as the shot clock was winding down. He had 14 points by halftime, going 3-for-5 from three. Bertans lit a spark in the second quarter with an outside shooting barrage to cut down a nine-point lead by the Pacers and set the Wizards up to take advantage. Bertans played wellĪfter a rough season debut that led to him playing only 13 minutes, Davis Bertans bounced back in a big way against Indiana. Also, they aren't as deep at shooting guards as they are at other spots. Though the Wizards may be built to withstand injuries better than they have been in the past, it's still tough to plan for losing your best player. They will be off Saturday and practice Sunday before heading north.
said before the game that he is expected to play on Monday, when the Wizards travel to Brooklyn. Though Beal missed this one, he is not expected to be out any longer. Their defense could use some improvement, but a win is a win. Offense wasn't a problem overall, as the Wizards shot 52.1% from the field and 50% from three (19-for-38).
#KYLE KUZMA STATS PLUS#
Dinwiddie hit a big-time three with 35 seconds left to force overtime and Kuzma made a tough up-and-under shot in overtime, plus a free throw to seal the victory. With Beal out, Spencer Dinwiddie (34 points, nine assists) and Kyle Kuzma (26 points, 11 rebounds) stepped up in the scoring department. That is their best start to a season since 2017-18. It was just one game, but they passed that test with a convincing win to push them to 2-0 on the year.
They would have to play without Beal (hip), a guy they went 2-10 without last season, against a playoff-caliber Indiana Pacers team. Giant Statue Engulfed by Flood Waters at National HarborĪfter an offseason where the Wizards were widely applauded for their newfound depth, they got an excellent test for just that on Friday night, in their second game of the 2021-22 regular season.