During Thursday night's 135-119 loss to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma shot an impressive 8-of-10 from the field, racking up 23 points in 31 minutes. The game was Kuzma's 10th consecutive 20-point performance, earning him a spot among some of the franchise's best players.
Since rebranding ahead of the 1997-98 season, the Wizards have had only seven players score at least 20 points in 10 consecutive games, led by Bradley Beal's 40-game streak spanning two seasons. Kuzma's showing against Houston ties his streak with Russell Westbrook's best in a Wizards uniform, setting him just one game shy of Michael Jordan.
Player | Longest Streak | # of 10+ Game Streaks |
|---|---|---|
Bradley Beal | 40 games | 9 |
Gilbert Arenas | 18 games | 7 |
Chris Webber | 14 games | 2 |
Larry Hughes | 12 games | 1 |
Michael Jordan | 11 games | 1 |
Russell Westbrook | 10 games | 1 |
Kyle Kuzma | 10 games | 1 |
Kyle Kuzma's scoring streak has led to rare Wizards wins
Success has been hard to come by for the Wizards this season, but Kuzma's recent scoring streak has turned up positive results for Washington. Last week, Kuzma and the Wizards notched back-to-back victories against the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat.
Against Charlotte, Kuzma led a fourth-quarter comeback in the District, erasing a 10-point deficit with 14 points in the final frame. The Wizards' forward finished the game with 28 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, just shy of his first triple-double of the season. The win marked an end to a 16-game losing streak, something Kuzma had certainly heard his share of trash talk from opposing fans about.
Following the win over the Hornets, the Wizards took to the road to face the Heat. With Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes both sidelined, Kuzma stepped up as the team's starting center, accepting the challenge against All-Defensive center Bam Adebayo. By game's end, Kuzma had poured in 32 points, the highest scoring mark of any game during this streak. Kyle's ability to draw out the defense and beat Bam off the dribble allowed the 6'9" forward a clear route to the basket in Miami.
Stayed resilient during the game. 💪
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 11, 2024
Also stayed resilient during the postgame interview when @1Tyus interrupted. 😂 pic.twitter.com/sL9Rskvr3e
As the Wizards wrap up their four-game road trip on Saturday, Kuzma will look to continue his scoring tear, which has kept the team competitive in stints and has given fans a glimpse at what the future may hold with the 28-year-old forward in the District.