Washington Wizards Three Takeaways: Third Quarter Run, Key to Wizards Win over Pistons

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 1: Markieff Morris #5 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons on December 1, 2017 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Led by a strong performance by Markieff Morris, the Washington Wizards outgun the Pistons, 109-91.

Back on October 20^th when the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons met at Capital One Arena, the Wizards turned the game around in the third quarter outscoring the Pistons 33-16, propelling them to victory. On Friday night’s rematch the Wizards once again used a strong third quarter to carry them to a victory over the Pistons, 109-91.

The Wizards started the third quarter on a 15-0 run, turning a four point halftime deficit into a 10 point lead. They outscored the Pistons 35-15 in the period. While Markieff Morris led all scorers with 23 points.

The victory gives the Wizards a little momentum as they head off on a trip out west. Here are my takeaways.

Best Game of the Year for Morris:

Prior to the game, Morris and head coach Scott Brooks watched extra film together, in an effort to get Morris out of his slump. It worked, as Morris tallied the most points of his season, shooting 10-16 from the field and grabbing seven rebounds.

Morris had just 18 points over the last three games. He missed the start of the season recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery and told reporters he still isn’t 100 percent.

Recently Morris had come under a little bit of fire, and the emergence of Kelly Oubre, Jr., led to some speculating whether Morris should come off the bench.

This performance should quiet that noise for the time being. However, Morris has to continue rounding into form, if the Wizards are going to excel without the services of All-Star point guard John Wall, who’s recovering from a knee injury.

Satoransky Shines Again:

Tomas Satoransky has been seeing increased playing time without Wall, and has seized the opportunity. Friday’s game against the Pistons, was just the latest example, as Sato poured in a career-high 17 points off the bench.

He added four rebounds, four assists, zero turnovers, and was a +14. The turnover number is significant as Sato hasn’t turned the ball over in the last four games, while he has dished out 22 assists over that same stretch.

Tomas Satoransky last four games:
40 points,
22 assists,
14 rebounds,
14 of 22 (63.6%), and
0 (ZERO!!!) turnovers.

Scott Brooks is going to have a (good) problem when John Wall comes back trying to get everybody worthy in the rotation.
— Neil Dalal (@NeilDalal96) December 2, 2017

Sato is playing with more confidence and that comes with getting more opportunities. Brooks is going to have a hard time dishing out backup point guard minutes when Wall returns, and that’s a good problem to have.

Wizards Handle Pistons on Backboards:

A game after getting decimated on the boards in Philadelphia (outrebounded 64-35), the Wizards did a much better job in the rebounding department against another formidable rebounding team.

The Wizards outrebounded the Pistons 49-32, who came in to the contest as one of the best rebounding teams in the league. This team is at its best when they’re able to get stops. The Pistons only had four offensive rebounds all game long.

On Monday, the Wizards begin their five-game road trip in Utah against the Jazz.