Wizards Lose Season Opener 143-120 to Indiana Pacers
The Washington Wizards season opener didn’t go quite as they would’ve hoped. The team had a promising preseason, finishing 3-1, but reality set in once the regular season started.
Here are some of the positive aspects of the game:
The Wizards started out strong offensively. In the first quarter, Tyus Jones had 12 points outshining the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton. Jones would ultimately finish the game with 16 points and it certainly looks like he is the floor general the Wizards have been seeking.
Read More: Tyus Jones The Floor General The Wizards Needed?
The Wizards had four players with more than 15 points. As previously mentioned, Tyus Jones had 16 points. Kyle Kuzma would finish as the Wizards leading scorer with 25 points. Jordan Poole was second on the Wizards scoring list with 18.
Danilo Gallinari returned to NBA action for the first time since April 26, 2022, scoring 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-2 3PT, 6-6 FT) and adding three rebounds in 17 minutes from off the bench.
The Wizards scored 120 points so they can in fact score. 120 points wasn’t enough however and that leads to the not so positive aspects of the game.
The Indiana Pacers scoring 143 is a sign that the defensive effort tonight was an issue for the Wizards. With 32 fastbreak points and 59-points from the Pacers bench, once the Pacers got hot they were off to the races. The Pacers had a 52% field goal percentage, 46% from three-point range, and 91% from the free throw line.
Next up for the Wizards is the Memphis Grizzlies at Capital One Arena on Saturday, October 25 at 7:00pm. Despite tonight’s loss, the Wizards organization has a ton of fan activities planned for the home opener. Hopefully this good energy will result in the first win of the season for the Wizards.
