On Monday, the Washington Wizards led by as much as 14 points in their visit to the Delta Center to face the Utah Jazz, scoring a season-high 41 points in the first quarter. However, with three minutes to play in the third quarter, leading by 10 points, the Wizards, once again, took their foot off the gas.
Jordan Poole came out of the gates ready to light up the scoreboard, sinking each of his first eight shot attempts en route to scoring 23 points by the end of the second quarter. The efficient first-half scoring outburst ranks among some of the best in league history.
Tonight in Utah, Jordan Poole became just the fifth player in the NBA Play-By-Play Era (1996-97) to score 23 first-half points in 12 minutes or less.#ForTheDistrict
— Arrick Joel (@ArrickJoel) March 5, 2024
Poole finished the night with a team-best 32 points, trailed closely by Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones who each eclipsed the 20-point mark. However, the complexion of the game changed drastically in the later stages.
Late-game woes against Jazz frustrate Wizards fans
Utah's Jordan Clarkson torched the Wizards down the stretch, scoring on every basket of a 12-0 Jazz run late in the fourth quarter. Clarkson finished the game with 38 points in 36 minutes, helping the injury-plagued Jazz in every way he could.
Over the final 15 minutes of the game, the Jazz outscored the Wizards 36-14, a massive collapse that ultimately led to a 127-115 win for Utah. The final result tags Washington with their 15th consecutive loss, the second-longest losing streak in franchise history.
The Wizards will return home on Wednesday, hoping to redeem themselves against the Orlando Magic at the Capital One Arena. This recent string of losses has deeply frustrated the District's passionate fanbase, turning their team into the laughing stock of the NBA and leaving fans to wonder: when will the Wizards end their humiliating losing streak?
When will the Washington Wizards win again?
Following their loss in Utah, the Wizards have 14 games remaining in March, including nine games at home. Frankly, as losers of 15 in a row, the Wizards will need luck to notch their first win in over a month. However, some opportunities will be more probable than others.
Remaining on the Wizards' schedule are a few NBA juggernauts. Teams such as the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are opponents seemingly impossible to imagine the Wizards defeating. On the other side, the Wizards do face some potentially beatable teams, especially when the team has the opportunity to face them in the District.
Friday, March 8: Wizards vs. Hornets
In November, the Wizards faced off with the Charlotte Hornets for a baseball-style series, playing each other in consecutive games. Washington came out of the set with a 132-116 win in the first of the two meetings, a precedent Wizards fans will hope to see matched in the final game of the season series.
The Hornets will be without their star guard LaMelo Ball, who has missed all game action since January 26th due to an ankle injury. If there is any team in the Wizards' final 21 games the team matches up well with and can catch shorthanded, it will be the Hornets.
Tuesday, March 12: Wizards at Grizzlies
Even after winning a contentious matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, the Memphis Grizzlies are just 3-14 in their last 17 contests. No team in the NBA has had their season derailed by injury quite as drastically as the Grizzlies have this year, which may turn out to be just the opening the Wizards need to sneak away with a win in front of the fiery Memphis crowd.
Along with the advantage in the war of attrition, Wizards starter Tyus Jones will likely have additional motivation coming into Memphis, as the Grizzlies chose to trade him to Washington this past June. Jones had signed with the Grizzlies as a restricted free agent in 2019.
Friday, March 29: Wizards vs. Pistons
After losing 36 of their first 39 games, including 28 in a row, the Detroit Pistons found themselves placed firmly among the league's worst teams in the standings. Since then, the young team has seen small strides of improvement. However, the Pistons are the only team the Wizards have defeated twice this season.
Their clash on the 29th of March will be the fourth game of the season series, one the Wizards lead with two wins in three games. The fascinating part of this matchup comes from where it falls on the schedule. If Washington is unable to secure a win before Detroit comes to town, the Wizards would enter the game with 27 consecutive losses, building a scene that calls back to Kyle Kuzma's December tweet about the Pistons' historic losing streak.
FanDuel recently released an NBA Special on their sportsbook, which allows users to bet when they believe the Wizards' next win will come. If Washington can catch a team in the right situation, there is enough talent on the roster to come away with a win sooner rather than later.