4 Takeaways from the Washington Wizards’ 129-119 loss to the Utah Jazz
By Ethan Smith
Bradley Beal is the Franchise’s Greatest Scorer (maybe)
In the Wizards’ 129-119 Utah Jazz, Bradley Beal went off…again. The one-man wrecking-crew finished with 42 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds.
The performance marked the 17th-straight game in which Bradley Beal scored at least 25 points, tying him with Walt Bellamy for the longest such streak in franchise history. You have to go back to the Wizards’ January 17th loss to the Toronto Raptors to find a box score in which he has less than 25 points.
The scoring streak has helped balloon Beal’s scoring average above 30 points per game, second only to James Harden. During the 17-game streak, Beal is averaging 36.6 points per game. Since the All-Star break, he’s been even more incredible, upping his scoring even further. In five games since the short hiatus, Beal is averaging 41.2 points per game.
Beal has a great chance to continue his streak and stand-alone in franchise history. The Wizards’ next game will be against the Golden State Warriors, owners of the NBA’s 26th-ranked Defensive Rating, and a team that Beal dropped 43 on earlier this season.
dark. Next. Time for the Wizards to tank
All of the scoring hasn’t been for naught, either. The Wizards have a better winning percentage (.470) during the last 17 games than they do for the season (.362). It’s been enough to at least mathematically keep their playoff hopes alive, although they’re hanging on by a thread with a tough March coming up.
If the Wizards have any chance of extending their season beyond 82 games, they’ll need more of these scoring performances from Beal. Besides, with every dominant showing, it gets harder and harder to say Beal’s been anything but All-NBA. It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep the scoring streak alive. And it’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch.