Wizards starters put in their work before getting some rare time off in rout of 76ers
The Washington Wizards have turned winning at home into a habit, but Saturday night’s 109-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers felt different.
There were visible changes: John Wall enjoying the expensive courtside seats, waving a towel like a giddy fan and Marcin Gortat yanking the warm-up shirt off rookie Daniel Ochefu so he could get into the game.
Both Wall and Gortat are usually on the floor, like the rest of the Wizards’ starters, trying to close out a victory. As fruitful as this 11-game home streak has been, the starters have shouldered the weight of the wins. Entering the matchup with Philadelphia, Washington’s first unit still ranked second in the league in minutes played. Also, as the Wizards extended the streak on Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls, the team needed Wall to play 40 minutes. Gortat extended to 41, and the Wizards held on long enough to prevail 101-99.
However on Saturday night, because the Wizards (20-19) dominated the second half and crushed a rebuilding team as they should, no starter played more than 30 minutes. During the fourth quarter as it became apparent that Washington would win its 11th straight game at Verizon Center, the longest active streak in the NBA, the first unit players kept the sideline seats warm.
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Resting during work hours; a rare treat for a Wizards starter. And so strange that Bradley Beal grew a bit restless.
“I wanted to play a little bit, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Beal, who scored 20 points and sat the entire fourth quarter like three other starters. “But it was good to see us close out a game the right way. If everybody gets a chance to play and everybody gets minutes, then that’s always a great feeling.”
Added Markieff Morris, who scored 14 points in 30 minutes of action: “We were excited that a couple of the rookies got to play. Other than that, it really does not matter if I am on the floor or on the bench, as long as we’re winning.”
The Wizards led 86-71 entering the fourth quarter and at the start of the final frame, the team sent out second-unit players. Soon, the night became a showcase for even the third-stringers.
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“I had some lobbying from my vets to get me in earlier,” Ochefu said after making his eighth game appearance of the season. “I don’t know what happened. All I know is March [Gortat] took my jersey off and I got in the game.”
Philadelphia called timeout with 3:04 remaining in the game and Ochefu checked in for backup center Jason Smith. And in a night of pleasant oddities, during the huddle Ochefu said Coach Scott Brooks drew up a play for him.
“Go get a bucket,” Ochefu said, retelling his coach’s message.
Ochefu complied and on the team’s next offensive possession, he posted up former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor and scored with a hook shot. The bench, filled with starters, erupted.
“You’re always excited for them because they’re putting a lot of work in, a lot of work that people don’t see,” Beal said. “For them to have an opportunity and step on the floor and showcase it and score points. … That’s a big moment for them. For us, too. We’re happy for them because we know he puts in work.”
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Besides Ochefu, rookie Tomas Satoransky, who had not played since Dec. 30, remained on the floor for the entire fourth quarter. The bench accounted for 18 points in the fourth quarter as the three active rookies (Sheldon McClellan, Ochefu and Satoransky) totaled for five.
“He comes in every single day with that pink bag that we have him bring in,” Beal said of Ochefu before referencing the Wizards’ entire rookie class. “They work their tails off and they deserve every minute that they get.”
Otto Porter Jr. did not watch the fourth quarter revelry from the bench. Late in the third quarter, Porter left the game with a strained right hip and did not return. Porter said he expected to play Monday, even as he continues to deal with nagging hip pain. On Nov. 21, Porter could not finish a game against the Phoenix Suns after experiencing what the team described as inflammation in his right hip. Though Porter sat out the team’s next practice, he has not missed a game this season.
“It’s the same thing, the hip problem,” Porter told reporters Saturday night. “I want to make sure I stay on top of it and make sure it doesn’t get out of hand.”
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