The Washington Wizards fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 133-120 in Wednesday's regular season opener.
Washington drop to a double-digit deficit early in the first quarter after a slow start offensively was overcome by struggles on the defensive end.
The Wizards bounced back in the second half, outscoring the Bucks 67-61 to cut their lead down to size.
However, in the end, Brian Keefe's squad struggled to overcome the early hole they dug themselves in, even with the strong second half put together by Washington.
Nonetheless, while starting off 0-1 may not be what many hoped for the Wizards opening the season, it's safe to say that Milwaukee came away with multiple hidden victories in game one.
Khris Middleton has plenty left in the tank
Entering the season, it was clear that Khris Middleton's lucrative contract may prove to be extremely difficult for the Wizards to move off of.
Considering his injury history and lackluster play down the stretch since joining the Wizards last year, it was hard to imagine that any team would be desperate enough to take on Middleton's steep deal.
However, if he continues playing at the level he did on Wednesday in his return to Milwaukee, things may change.
Middleton finished the matchup as the team's leading scorer, totaling 23 points, six rebounds and three assists, while shooting 9/14 from field goal range and 3/5 from beyond the arc.
The forward looked like his former self after a long summer and his play alone could put him on the radar of playoff teams in need of frontcourt help.
Kyshawn George looks like a star
The hype train surrounding Kyshawn George entering the season gained plenty of steam following his strong preseason play.
On Wednesday, the second-year man looked the part and seemingly looked ready to take on the leadership role that the coaching staff asked for him to take on this season.
In 33 minutes, George racked up 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while shooting 7/15 from field goal range and 3/6 from three.
Not to mention he te took on the assignment of defending the best player on the court in Giannis Antetokounmpo in the midst of it.
Tre Johnson looks like a hit
Tre Johnson's rookie debut went about as good as any Wizards fan could have hoped, espcially at half when he was the team's leading scorer with 11 points.
The Texas product knocked down 5/11 of his attempts from the field, while shooting 50% from beyond the arc along the way to his 16 point night.
Johnson looks comfortable already and as his confidence continues to grow, his ceiling will only begin to raise.
All that to say, even with the loss, Washington came out on the winning side of Wednesday's regular season opener.