Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards Final Score: Rockets Outlast Wizards, 99-91

John Wall‘s efforts have been continuously wasted this season by the Washington Wizards. Today’s game against the Houston Rockets was no different.

The beginning of the game was sloppy for both sides. Dwight Howard was put in foul trouble early and Trevor Ariza was turning the ball over virtually every time he touched it.

On the flip side, Marcin Gortat botched multiple easy shots around the rim. The Rockets turned the ball over 20 times, but the Washington Wizards weren’t able to execute off their mistakes.

Washington led in the first quarter, but it was all downhill after that.

Paul Pierce continued to struggle, scoring just 2 points, and Randy Wittman has been persistent with his horrendous rotations. Wittman put Martell Webster in the game as the first player off the bench, and not surprisingly, Webster was awful again. Webster and Rasual Butler, to be specific, have fallen off a cliff. Their lack of contribution is hurting the team greatly. Today, they combined for 5 points in 22 minutes of action.

I’ve been leading the #FreeOtto movement for quite some time, and Otto Porter finally got a chance to play today. It seems like everyone besides Randy Wittman has noticed how bad Webster and Butler have been following the All-Star break. You’d think after such a long stretch of miserable performances, Porter (a former third overall pick) would get a chance to play.

Of course, he made the most of his opportunity.

Porter scored 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action. He knocked down 4 of his 7 shot attempts, two of which were 3-point attempts. Even when Porter is struggling to make shots, he’s still contributing in other aspects of the game, which cannot be said for Webster and Butler. He’s great at running in transition and he’s constantly helping the bigs on the glass.

Washington cut Houston’s double-digit lead down to just six in the fourth quarter, but James Harden made some key shots and the game was essentially over.

John Wall finished the game with 25 points and 12 assists tonight, and looked like the best player on the floor. Unlike his backcourt mate, Bradley Beal, Wall is constantly giving it his all, despite the circumstances. Beal hasn’t valued every possession this season, and I think he’ll eventually get better at picking his spots as his career progresses. It certainly doesn’t help when the head coach doesn’t utilize Beal’s three point shooting like he should.

After the game, Marcin Gortat talked about Washington’s struggles, presumably taking a shot at Wittman:

While Randy Wittman will continue to blame losses on effort, or lack thereof, anybody that watches the Washington Wizards play on a consistent basis will tell you that effort isn’t the issue. Have the Wizards had lapses of poor effort? Of course. But throughout an 82-game season, it’s clear that coaching and the system is the much greater problem.

After today’s loss, the Washington Wizards have ended their chances at winning 50 games this season. They’ll have a few days to rest before taking on the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Next: Why the Wizards Need To Fire Randy Wittman