Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards Can’t Find Offense In Loss To Charlotte Hornets

By Ben Mehic

Mar 18, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Marco Belinelli (21) goes up for a shot against Washington Wizards guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Wizards 98-93. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Marco Belinelli (21) goes up for a shot against Washington Wizards guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Wizards 98-93. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards have become an elite offensive team under Scott Brooks, but couldn’t get going against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

A day after squeaking by the Chicago Bulls in D.C., the Washington Wizards were tasked with playing the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, who are fighting to enter the playoff picture.

Washington is third in the NBA in field goal percentage and fifth in 3-point percentage – both marks of an elite offensive club.

But on Saturday, the Wizards hit a rare funk and couldn’t find a rhythm.

John Wall dashed up the court, finding Bradley Beal open on the perimeter, as he usually does. Except in Charlotte, the results were different. The fastbreak threes that usually end in Beal pointing to Wall for hitting him with a perfect pass ended with clanks off the rim.

The Wizards had a one-point lead at halftime, 40-39, but both teams weren’t hitting their clean looks.

It was only a matter of time before one of the teams went on a run and the Hornets were able to string together consecutive shots when it mattered most.

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Kemba Walker, in particular, found a rhythm, knocking down threes in the fourth quarter.

Nicolas Batum also took Jason Smith off the dribble, extending the Hornets’ lead to eight with two minutes remaining.

Despite Washington’s effort – Beal stole the ball with seconds on the clock and missed a game-tying three on the Wizards’ final possession – they couldn’t generate enough offense to overcome Charlotte’s late push.

Otto Porter kept the team alive with his shooting, making 4 of his 9 attempts from deep.

Beal, however, made just 6 of his 14 shots. Wall made just 5 of his 16 shots and picked up his 14th technical foul of the season. He needs just two more before he’s suspended by the NBA.

Washington made just 36.7 percent of their total shot attempts and 33 percent of their threes. Charlotte made over 42 percent of their shots – an unimpressive percentage – but found offense in the fourth quarter.

Frank Kaminsky scored 2 points in the first half, but finished with 14 on the night. His scoring made the difference, but he also got under Wall’s skin, causing him to pick up a technical.

Saturday’s contest was sloppy enough to permanently turn casual watchers away from the NBA forever. But for the Washington Wizards, it’s a performance they likely won’t repeat.

Next: 3 Things the Wizards Must Improve Before the Playoffs

With the loss, Washington has slipped two games behind the second seeded Boston Celtics. They’ll take on Boston on Monday night.

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