In their New Year’s Day game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Washington Wizards popped off across the board. There wasn’t a single aspect of the game that was not controlled by the Wizards throughout the entire 48 minutes of action.
This win is their fifth straight victory and sixth win in their last seven games. Definitely a new look from when they lost ten in a row just before this streak began. Much of their recent success has been due to their newfound big man lineups.
The Bucks entered the game missing four different players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. This most certainly held the Bucks back from playing to their highest form. Joining them on the injury report was Bradley Beal who continues to rehab his hamstring injury.
Multiple players showed out for the Washington Wizards, powering them to victory.
Rui Hachimura continued his recent stretch of dominance by posting another efficient 26-point outing. He paired his scoring with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. He has looked incredible since returning from injury.
Joining the high level of play from Hachimura was Deni Avdija and Daniel Gafford, both of which had great games against the Bucks, Avdija put up an 11-point, 12-rebound game while Gafford dominated the paint with 17 points and the highlight of the game.
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None of these great performances quite encapsulated the story of the game quite like Kyle Kuzma did. He dropped his second career triple double in their win. His performance just goes to show how dominant they were from every standpoint in this one.
This game showed that the Washington Wizards have what it takes to be a great team, even if it was against a depleted Bucks team. They moved without the ball, passed wonderfully, and defended with a passion. This was the most fun game the Wizards have played all season long.