Inside The Wizards

Wizards Usher in New Year With Clutch Win Against Bucks

The Washington Wizards made a statement to finsih out 2025.
Bryson Akins|
Dec 31, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum (3) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum (3) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards just had a fantastic finish for the 2025 season. Just two hours before the clock struck midnight, signaling the start of 2026, the Wiz Kids pulled off the clutch win over the Milwaukee Bucks. This is the kind of win that any young team wants. The best part is that this win could signal something incredible happening in the DMV for basketball in the New Year.

To say 2025 was a rough year for the Wizards would be an understatement. However, the team finished strong, going five-and-four in their last nine games of the year. The majority of this is thanks to the young guns, but also a veteran stepping up in the clutch to get the last win of the year for the NBA.

Total Team Effort to end the Year

Obviously, Tre Johnson should be the first Wizards player mentioned in this win, as he has been on fire lately. At one point, Johnson had made nine three-pointers in a row across his last two games, which is a franchise rookie record. The last rookie to hit eight in a row was Kelly Oubre Jr. in 2015, over 10 years ago. Johnson went a little cold in the second half, but still ended his night with 14 points and hit four of his seven three-point shots.

Bub Carrington was also lighting the nylon strings on fire, as he went on a tear in the second half. Carrington came off the bench but was tied as the leading scorer for the Wizards with Sarr, as both had 20 points. The most impressive part of Bub's game was his three-point shooting, as he went 6-for-11 from long range. It was a slow start to the season, but in December, Carrington flipped a switch.

Speaking of Sarr, it was another solid performance from the All-Star hopeful. It was tough for Sarr to battle on the boards or in the paint, as the Bucks are just filled with size at every position. Still, this did not prevent the second-year center from recording 20 points and 11 rebounds. He was also not scared on the defensive end, tallying four blocks, along with a huge defensive stop that led to the game-winning bucket with six seconds left.

The man who won this game, though, was CJ McCollum. McCollum was having a decent game the entire night, but the team knew they could trust the savvy veteran in the clutch. With just a few seconds remaining, the guard decided to step back from the short corner and knock down a hug-emid range shot, giving the team a one-point lead. This helped McCollum not only finish with 18 points, but also potentially help his trade stock going into 2026.

Ultimately, it was a storybook ending for the Wiz Kids. There was no better way to close out the year with a clutch last-second win over one of the best players in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now, let's just see if this hot streak continues in 2026.

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Bryson Akins
BRYSON AKINS

Bryson Akins is a writer for the Wizards on Sports Illustrated. Akins graduated from Emerson College in the spring of 2025, the same school Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins attended. Some of Akins' past work includes covering the Thunder on Last Word on Sports, along with his YouTube channel "Thunder Digest." Bryson's favorite memory watching the Wizards are the hard screens center Marcin Gortat would set.

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