Washington Wizards: 3 Takeaways from 124-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans

Takeaway #1: Defensive struggles continue

The Wizards entered the game ranked 28th in defensive efficiency and that didn’t get better after the loss. Washington surrendered 124 points to the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. Coming into the game, the Pelicans were 22nd in the league in points per game averaging only 109.2. They were able to score almost 15 more points against the awful Wizards defense.

The Pelicans started the game hot, scoring 35 points in the first quarter. Zion Williamson was pretty much unstoppable from the opening tip until the final buzzer. He had 20 points in the 1st half and finished the game with 32 points on 12-16 shooting from the field. Ingram had 32 points as well to go along with 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Ingram shot 12-19 from the field and 7-12 from behind the arc.

Isaac Bonga and Jordan Bell are known for their defense but they had trouble containing this dynamic duo. Zion was able to shoot 75 percent from the field, while Ingram shot 63 percent. They pretty much got whatever they wanted, and this is starting to become the norm for almost every star playing against the Wizards. There’s been no resistance on the defensive end whatsoever! With a bottom-five ranked defense, the chances of Washington making it to the postseason are slim. They’ll have to defend better as a team if they’re truly serious about moving up in the East.