GT #29: Bullets @ Clippers 10 PM (NBCSW/1500 AM)

[nate33]

It takes a special coach to be outscored by 15 points so far in the 4th.

Or a really tired team that isn't all that good in the first place.

Let's keep it real people. We were big time underdogs in this one. This was the expected outcome.

Pretty much this. Long scoring droughts a couple times in the game hurt us. I give no bearing to win streaks albeit it would have been nice to continue. We need to be consistently above average against the good teams and do better than that against bad teams.

Yeah, at least we made a run and didn't embarrass ourselves. 2 weeks ago, we'd have let the lead balloon to 35 in the middle of the 3rd quarter.

[NatP4]

Let's not act like that cost us the game. They pulled away early in the 4th before Beal crossed the 40 minute mark.

The game was lost in the 1st half.

Call it whatever you want. It was the 2nd night of a back to back after an overtime game on a west coast road trip. You extend the bench. We shortened it. Avdija played 10 minutes, Bonga played 3, Mathews played less than 20, Wagner played less than 25, Brown Jr didn’t play.

This isn’t a controversial take. You don’t shorten your bench and play Westbrook&Beal 40 minutes. It’s just stupidity. This is a night where you play 12 guys and no one plays 30 minutes. Live with whatever result.

You are using hindsight. Sticking with Beal and Westbrook in the 3rd quarter cut a 17 point lead to 5. It looked like a great idea at that moment... until it didn't.

If Brooks went to his bench after the starters cut it to 5, and then bench let the deficit increase back up to 15, you'd be whining that Brooks should have stuck with the starters because they were playing well!

are you really struggling with this? Who is even talking about the end of the 3rd start of the 4th? That was YOU complaining in the GT that Brooks should’ve sat them.

I am talking about the game as a whole. You extend your bench in this situation. You go into the game with a plan of playing 12-13 guys, no one plays heavy minutes. Avoid injuries and have better energy overall. I posted this in the thread BEFORE the game. I don’t even care about the outcome of the game. You don’t need to kill the players that player heavy minutes last night. We have plenty of depth to give ourselves a chance in this game without anyone playing heavy minutes.

[NatP4]

Read on Twitter

*forgets to run plays*

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[Kanyewest]

Call it whatever you want. It was the 2nd night of a back to back after an overtime game on a west coast road trip. You extend the bench. We shortened it. Avdija played 10 minutes, Bonga played 3, Mathews played less than 20, Wagner played less than 25, Brown Jr didn’t play.

This isn’t a controversial take. You don’t shorten your bench and play Westbrook&Beal 40 minutes. It’s just stupidity. This is a night where you play 12 guys and no one plays 30 minutes. Live with whatever result.

You are using hindsight. Sticking with Beal and Westbrook in the 3rd quarter cut a 17 point lead to 5. It looked like a great idea at that moment... until it didn't.

If Brooks went to his bench after the starters cut it to 5, and then bench let the deficit increase back up to 15, you'd be whining that Brooks should have stuck with the starters because they were playing well!

are you really struggling with this? Who is even talking about the end of the 3rd start of the 4th? That was YOU complaining in the GT that Brooks should’ve sat them.

I am talking about the game as a whole. You extend your bench in this situation. You go into the game with a plan of playing 12-13 guys, no one plays heavy minutes. Avoid injuries and have better energy overall. I posted this in the thread BEFORE the game. I don’t even care about the outcome of the game. You don’t need to kill the players that player heavy minutes last night. We have plenty of depth to give ourselves a chance in this game without anyone playing heavy minutes.

This. There was no reason to play Beal the entire 4th and most of the run occurred with the Clippers bench players. And they didn't play Neto not to mention Bonga. Plus Lopez struggled in the 1st half off of a back to back- it was either time to go small or play Len. Plus starting the 4th quarter with Wagner was pretty bizarre.

A loss was expected but the matter in which they lost was poor rotations by Brooks.

[TheNewEra]

Clippers fan

That was a good game. Wizards fought hard and you could tell fatigue hit after a while. A loss but still shooting over 50% from the field and deep is a great sign. Clips still need to improve overall defensively and especially on the perimeter

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Russ is now shooting 60.5% from the free throw line on the season. A couple more misses today and he’s in the 50% range. What the actual hell.

Look at this two ways. That 60% really means for every five FTAs Westbrook makes 3 instead of 4, like an 80% shooter does.

How many FTAs does Russell actually attempt? His 6-12 should be 9-12, so he’s costed the Wizards 3 points; which is significant in a close game.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html

Westbrook averages 5 and 1/2 FTAs. His .612 FT average literally amounts to 1 point.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Clippers fan

That was a good game. Wizards fought hard and you could tell fatigue hit after a while. A loss but still shooting over 50% from the field and deep is a great sign. Clips still need to improve overall defensively and especially on the perimeter

It’s a good loss. To battle back to within 94-99 at the end of Q3 was very impressive on a night when Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were on their games.

The score at by he end of Q1 was 20-36, a 16-point margin. They only lost by 19.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Or a really tired team that isn't all that good in the first place.

Let's keep it real people. We were big time underdogs in this one. This was the expected outcome.

Pretty much this. Long scoring droughts a couple times in the game hurt us. I give no bearing to win streaks albeit it would have been nice to continue. We need to be consistently above average against the good teams and do better than that against bad teams.

Yeah, at least we made a run and didn't embarrass ourselves. 2 weeks ago, we'd have let the lead balloon to 35 in the middle of the 3rd quarter.

No embarrassment, and definitely growth from where we were.

[Ruzious]

I think we knew going in, LAC was too highly motivated and too highly talented to lose this one at home against a Wiz team playing the back end of consecutive days west coast games. We got abused by their great forward combo - which was no surprise - though still means we need to work on defense. Good to see Wagner finally playing well - though again his D wasn't good. Bertans getting only 4 shots isn't good because he's in there for his shooting. Avdija did basically nothing in his 11 minutes - which was explainable for a rookie against LAC. Can't blame Beal and Westbrook for hogging the ball - since both had 10 assists vs 3 to's. As CCJ said, it was a learning experience. Denver's next tomorrow - man this has been a brutal schedule lately, and we're doing fine.

[Kanyewest]

In the 4th quarter run, only 5 of the points were scored by Paul George and Kawhi. The Clippers broadcasting crew pointed out that the Clippers bench outscored the Wizards bench 18-2 in the 4th quarter before the Wizards waived the white flag- this occurred mostly with the Wizards starters on the floor who only scored 6 points during that stretch(with Lopez /Avidja playing alongside them).