With extra insurance against acquiring the prize on time, Washington beat Indiana 133-123 Sunday night at the Capital One Arena in an energetic match that buzzed the crowd and the Wizards alike. Judging by Porzingis’ confidence, his 3-point shots, the dunks he hit and the chasing block he did, no one would say this was his first time playing with many of his teammates.
The story continues under the ad
“It was a smooth transition,” he said with a smirk.
With 25 points, Porzingis led seven Wizards in double figures while racing the Pacers, who scored 51.8 percent to Washington’s 52.3. After that, he was dizzy, and with an eternal smirk, he spoke of the joy of being back on the court after a long absence and the excitement of the first day of school that he feels about joining the Wizards. At one point during the post-match press conference, Porzingis literally licked his lips while discussing the game with Kyle Kuzma.
In this sense, it was not difficult to determine what Porzingis would bring to Washington in the short term. The former All-Star has given the Wizards (29-34) a desperately needed boost as they vie for an Eastern Conference play-in spot – a brilliant reward – a chance to make the playoffs without Bradley Beal.
The story continues under the ad
“It was phenomenal,” said Kuzma, who scored 23 points. “Teams can’t just pile on me with this extra guy who is a big threat to defense. He is so versatile with him. … There is a reason why it is called “The Unicorn”. ”
Porzingis’ tantalizing talent is a clear advantage to his move to Washington. But trying to figure out what he means to the franchise in the long run can be a headache, if only because, with or without him, the Wizards are still frozen in uncertainty.
Drown out the lively crowd cheering Porzingis as he last rode out. Take the plunge and assume Beal re-signs this summer, a result he kicked ass last week when he said he was leaning towards staying in Washington. Could Porzingis be the permanent co-star that Bill was missing?
The story continues under the ad
Perhaps if Porzingis stays healthy, if he regains the confidence that seemed to be shattered in Dallas, and if he and Beal are together on the court, as Unseld hopes. The Wizards can’t be sure until next season due to a wrist injury that will keep Beal in a cast for at least another six weeks.
“Honestly, I feel good here,” said Porzingis, chuckling. “…Hopefully we have Brad next season. I don’t know how things are, but I would like to play with him, Kuz and the rest of the guys. I think there are some interesting things to look forward to.”
In addition to getting a resounding yes from Beal, Washington’s main office will have to devote much of its summer vacation to trying to fill its perpetual vacancy at point guard. Add another unknown element to the list.
The story continues under the ad
But on Sunday, for two hours, those unknowns vanished into the distance when Porzingis called out oohs and aahs from… a slightly stronger crowd than the groups that had left several sections completely empty in Washington’s previous two home games.
He earned applause when he checked out after his first five-minute stay. He spent some of his time off the court, just on the sidelines, riding an exercise bike with big ice packs strapped to his knees and interacting with fans confident enough to come up and greet him.
The unfulfilled hopes of Porzingis also have an inspiring effect on the court. Washington is in 11th place in the East, without reaching the play-in of the tournament. On Sunday, he added five rebounds and also made 3 of 4 attempts from three-pointers.
The story continues under the ad
Kentavius Caldwell-Pope added 19 points to the Wizards and Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers (22-44) with 27 points, but Porzingis was the star of the show.
Here’s what else to know about the Wizards victory:
The appearance of Porzingis could have turned the page for the Wizards if not for the flood of comments from former players reminding Washington of his recent past.
Spencer Dinwiddie, now playing in Dallas, was the latest to speak out on Saturday, saying on Saturday that he feels hurt that some of the blame for the Wizards’ chemistry problems fell on his shoulders. He said, among other things, that he was asked by the organization to score less after the first part of the season and to focus more on passing.
The story continues under the ad
Unseld declined to say whether Dinwiddie’s comments were accurate.
“The bottom line is we needed to make a change, but to get something we had to give up something,” Unseld said. “He is a really talented guy, he plays well, he is healthy and we look forward to benefiting from this exchange. So that’s what it is, but I think it’s one of those things where we just have to move on, get through it.”
Someone will have to sacrifice playing time for the Wizards to see what they have in Porzingis, and that someone was Thomas Bryant on Sunday. The 24-year-old hasn’t played since he dropped a notch after Daniel Gafford was moved from the starting XI to the bench.
Raul Neto missed the entire second half with a sprained left ankle.
The guard limped into the locker room in pain with just over two minutes left in the first half after landing awkwardly and appearing to twist his ankle. Neto is no stranger to bumps and bruises – an inch away, he usually throws his body into an alley with abandon – but Sunday’s incident looked grim. Unseld said he moved well after the game and will move day in and day out.