Wizards Turnovers Lead to Loss vs. Rockets

The Washington Wizards couldn't take care of the ball against the Houston Rockets.

Jan 7, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) gestures to referee Natalie Sago (9) after being called for a foul against the Houston Rockets in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards started off hot against the Houston Rockets, pulling out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter.

They managed to keep pace with the Rockets in the second quarter until a late run gave Houston the lead for good.

“We were up 55-50 and they made a little run 7-0 run the last minute and then that bled over into the second half,” Wizards head coach Keefe said postgame. “Too many live ball turnovers, too many offensive rebounds that kind of summed up the game in the second half.”

In the second half, the Rockets took a two-point lead going into the locker room and finished with a 23-point win. They were able to capitalize on the Wizards mistakes in the final two frames.

“I don't think it was anything intentional or anything anybody's trying to do in the wrong,” Keefe said on the team’s turnovers. “They're trying to make the right play. They got their hands on some stuff but unfortunately those just turned into layups for them.”

The Wizards rank 25th in the NBA in turnovers per game after racking up 18 last night against the Rockets.

The lack of a true point guard on the floor certainly leads into the reasoning behind the team's lack of control on the ball, but that cannot be an excuse.

The Wizards have to do a better job taking care of the ball if they want to find a way to win more basketball games in the second half of the season.

The Wizards will now have a chance to learn from their mistakes tonight as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers on the second night of a back-to-back. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside the Wells Fargo Center.

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