The Wizards lost their final preseason game to the Knicks 105-89 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
The Knicks came out firing right away, jumping out to a 23-5 lead to start the game. By the end of the first period, the Knicks held a 30-19 lead.
In the second quarter, things turned around for the Wizards. They increased their activity on defense and turned that into offensive opportunities in transition. Midway through the second quarter, they pulled the game to a tie at 36 points each, but Washington never managed to overtake the lead. The Knicks countered, building up their double-digit lead again at halftime, and came out of the break on a 16-2 run, never looking back.
BRADLEY BEAL’S PHYSICALITY
After missing the last few months of the 2021-22 regular season due to a torn ligament in his left wrist, this offseason was all about recovery and rehab for Bradley Beal. All signs seemed to be pointing in a positive direction heading into training camp, but game reps are the only true way to see how a player is progressing.
After missing the second and third preseason games due to rest and a non-COVID illness, Beal came out aggressive on Friday. He had an up-and-down shooting game, scoring 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 from deep, but it was his all-around activity and physicality that was most noticeable.
Beal was doing a little of everything. He attacked the rim, scored from all three levels of the court, and was active on defense. In addition to his 16 points, he also added five assists, five rebounds, and three steals in 30 minutes of action.
It was a positive showing for Beal ahead of the regular season debut.
RUI HACHIMURA’S OFFENSIVE IMPACT
Rui Hachimura led the Wizards in scoring tonight with 20 points on an efficient 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line.
Attacking the basket at will, running in transition, living by the rim, and stretching out when needed, he was fantastic from the moment he stepped on the floor. Ultimately, Hachimura was a major reason why the second unit was able to keep the Wizards in the game.
At one point in the second quarter, Hachimura’s activity around the rim garnered so much attention from the Knicks that he drew an immediate triple-team when he caught the ball in the post.
Hachimura also hauled in eight rebounds and dished out two assists.
DELON WRIGHT’S ACTIVITY ON DEFENSE
Part of the reason the Wizards were able to dig themselves out of the hole they fell into early was because of Delon Wright’s activity on defense. He was a pest for all 24 minutes he was on the court tonight. Whether it was deflecting passes or blocking shots, Wright was all over the place.
“I thought Delon gave us a little spark with his defensive intensity and made some really good plays out of the pick and roll,” said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr.
Wright finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. He also had the highest plus/minus of any Wizard at +20. To put it simply, Wright was phenomenal in his role tonight.