No Pain, No Gain For Wizards

The Washington Wizards ended a losing streak and started another.

Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) leaps to pass the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) defends in the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards avoided ending on the wrong side of history with a win against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, and it was a much-needed victory for the team.

After going winless through the month of November, the Wizards looked pretty bleak. Losses continued to pile up and the same words in a different order were uttered after every game.

"We have to be better..."

"We can't get off to bad starts..."

"Credit to the other team..."

But through each loss, the Wizards grew and learned from their mistakes. Some nights showed more growth than others, but the end result was the same ... until it wasn't.

Wins are hard to come by in the NBA, and the Wizards now know that feeling first-hand. They were able to use this experience to grow their character and resolve, and that's something that will benefit each and every player and coach for the rest of their careers.

Even though the Wizards went right back to their old habits, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies the very next night by a wide margin, it shows that the team is still far from where it wants to be.

The Wizards hope that they can be able to get wins more often, but the likelihood is that they might not be able to. Wins won't define this team's growth this season, but it will give the Wizards a sign that their struggles and pain isn't for naught.

The Wizards will now take a few days to rest, regroup and re-charge as the NBA Cup quarterfinals take place this week. This gives the Wizards a break in their schedule until Friday when they battle the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers for the third time this season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET from RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

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