Inside The Wizards

Wizards Embarrassed at Home in Loss to Knicks

The Washington Wizards end their home stretch on a distasteful note in a disastrous loss to the New York Knicks.
Owen Jury|
Feb 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) drives the the basket in front of New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Feb 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) drives the the basket in front of New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards ended their five-game home stretch on the lowest of lows, losing in blowout fashion to the New York Knicks. The raw score of 132–101 is brutal enough, but it might not even fully capture how one-sided this game felt, especially considering the Wizards essentially waved the white flag by the end of the third quarter.

Washington isn’t going to take this loss too hard, as it’s another step toward the bottom of the standings and closer to a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Knicks, on the other hand, are chasing the opposite goal, needing to treat every game seriously as they push toward the top of the Eastern Conference in pursuit of a championship.

Either way, this game gave both teams a chance to play their second and third units, allowing guys to prove themselves not only to their own teams but also to others around the league.

Positives

It’s tough to take much away from a game like this since Washington never really played truly competitive basketball. Still, some of the younger players got opportunities to show something, and a few made the most of it.

Rookie forward Will Riley once again led the team in scoring, finishing with 17 points as he continues to look more comfortable. Riley has shown steady development as the season has gone on and is starting to flash the vision Washington had when they drafted him in the first round.

Another young Wizard who had a solid night was second-year guard AJ Johnson, who filled the stat sheet with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Johnson’s minutes have been limited and inconsistent, but when he does play, he consistently flashes the skillset that made him a highly touted prospect. He still has a long way to go before he can be a real piece on a winning team, but the signs of growth are encouraging.

Negatives

There’s no shortage of negatives in a loss like this. A lot has to go wrong for a game to get that out of hand, but the biggest issue was the play of Washington’s top young pieces.

Washington Wizards center Alex Sar
Jan 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) reacts to a call during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr combined for just 22 points, with none of them shooting over 40%. The Wizards rely heavily on those three night to night, so having all of them struggle at once was a recipe for disaster.

Washington will be back in action on Feb. 5 against the Detroit Pistons.

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Owen Jury
OWEN JURY

Owen Jury is currently a writer for Sports Illustrated. Jury is a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying journalism. At Missouri, he covers men’s golf and basketball for a student-run publication called The Maneater. Jury is still figuring out what his end goal is, but he is definitely excited about his future in journalism.

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