2026-07-06 19:34:35 Wizards top Hornets in preseason as Kristaps Porzingis leaves with injury – NEW WTOP Skip to main content

Wizards top Hornets in preseason as Kristaps Porzingis leaves with injury

By Chase Hughes

Wizards top Hornets in preseason as Porzingis leaves with injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington   The Washington Wizards beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-107 in their third preseason game. Here are five takeaways from what went down…

Porzingis tweaked his ankle

Unfortunately, the Wizards now have another injury to monitor as Kristaps Porzingis rolled his left ankle on a play under the rim late in the first half, much like Corey Kispert did in Japan against the Warriors. Porzingis exited for the locker room immediately, though it was almost halftime anyways. And he didn’t return, but that may not mean much given it’s the preseason and there was no reason to push it. The Hornets made the same call with star LaMelo Ball, who also rolled his ankle in this game. So, stay tuned for more information. Porzingis, though, was brilliant when he was on the floor. He had 20 points in the first half on 5-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-4 from three, all in 16 minutes. The Hornets had no answer for him. In that sense this game was a microcosm of him as a player; when he’s on the floor there is no questioning his talent, he just needs to stay healthy to reach his full potential.

Rotation questions remain

The Wizards played without Bradley Beal (non-COVID illness), Kispert (ankle sprain) and Deni Avdija (groin) in this one. Beal was cleared from health and safety protocols shortly before the game, but didn’t play due to him still being sick. Avdija, meanwhile, now only has one preseason game left to get going before the regular season begins. He hasn’t progressed beyond playing 3-on-3 in controlled practice situations. The injury absences have left us on the outside with little to go off in terms of predicting their opening night starting lineup and rotation. While Anthony Gill started at the three against Charlotte, it seems likely Will Barton starts there alongside Kyle Kuzma and Porzingis in the frontcourt. But it remains a mystery as head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has yet to have a full roster to choose from in selecting his starting five.

3s fell early

The Wizards were dreadful from 3-point range in their first two preseason games, as they knocked down just 20.6% from deep, worst among NBA teams in the exhibition schedule so far. But they had a strong shooting day at practice on Friday and then carried that over on Monday against the Hornets, as they began the game hitting 6-of-7 from long range. Not only were shots falling, they seemed to be the types of looks Unseld Jr. would prefer to see a lot more of. There were extra passes, drive-and-kicks and pick-and-pops; a lot of unselfishness and sharp execution. That, however, did not last as after starting 6-for-7, they went 6-for-24 the rest of the game. While the Hornets deserve credit for adjusting, the Wizards will have to work on sustaining what they showed they are capable of in the first half.

Barton’s passing

The Wizards’ ball movement was generally good in this game and Barton was a big standout in that regard. He showed some reminders of how he recorded more assists last season than any player on the Wizards’ roster. He may be known for his scoring, but Barton can also make plays for others and he showed that in a few different ways against Charlotte. Barton had six assists and got going with a nifty bounce pass to Gill for an easy layup. Not long after, he drove into the middle and kicked it out to Porzingis for an open three. Later in the first half, Barton drew the defense near, then found Daniel Gafford for a big slam. Barton also showed off his ability to create shots off the dribble, including from 3-point range. The Wizards have a chance to trot out one of the league’s better offenses and Barton is among the reasons why.

Davis got one to go down

Wizards’ rookie Johnny Davis finally broke through on the offensive end with his first NBA basket in the preseason. It came in the second quarter, as he drove into the lane, holding off a defender with his left hand, to set up a floater off the glass. That may have been a sigh of relief given Davis began the preseason 0-for-13 from the field, a drought that spanned across three games. Davis ended up with four points on 2-for-4 shooting in 15 minutes, the latter a bit surprising given the Wizards were missing so many wings. Maybe it had something to do with Davis missing two practices in recent days due to right knee tendinitis. Or, maybe it was another indication he’s unlikely to have a rotation role when the season begins. Davis played less than Jordan Goodwin (21 minutes), who is fighting for a two-way contract. Davis, though, can take solace in the path Kispert took as a rookie last season. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Also, Goodwin is looking more and more like an NBA player.

Kyle Kuzma helps Wizards take first of two critical matchups with Raptors

By Chase Hughes
Wizards take first of two critical matchups with Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonWASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards beat the Toronto Raptors 119-108 on Thursday night. Here are five takeaways from what went down...Important winThe Wizards rank 10th in the Eastern Conference and can now count wins over the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in consecutive games. After coming back to beat the Hawks on Tuesday, they outmatched the Raptors essentially from start to finish on Thursday, notching another win that helps their cause in the postseason race.The Wizards will see the Raptors again on Saturday in a two-game mini-series. They have another one of these next week against the Hawks. These games could go a long way toward deciding who makes the play-in tournament and who misses the cut about five weeks from now.Washington improved to 30-32 on the season, winning six of their last nine games. Kuz got hotKyle Kuzma was unstoppable out of the gate in this one, knocking down his first four shots to score the Wizards' first 10 points. The Wizards, in fact, jumped out to a 10-0 lead and all of those points were scored by Kuzma. He dropped in two quick threes, stormed through the lane for a big transition dunk and then sank a midrange jumper from the baseline.Kuzma then hit a series of shots early in the second quarter en route to 18 points in the first half. He had 30 points for the game, shooting 10-for-24 overall and 4-for-9 from three. It was Kuzma's best shooting night in a few weeks and it likely felt good after a few games in a row where points were harder to come by.Porzingis returnedThe Wizards got Porzingis back after a two-game absence due to knee soreness. He was solid with 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Raptors have a pretty good matchup for Porzingis in Jakob Poeltl, who is nearly as tall and fairly mobile moving his feet on defense. But Porzingis was able to find a rhythm in the second half, also with five rebounds and two blocks in addition to his scoring.While Porzingis was back, the Wizards played once again without Monte Morris who is dealing with lower back soreness. Morris received an epidural shot on Wednesday and is now considered week-to-week. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said before the game he had spoken to Morris after the procedure and that the team is hopeful it will be a short absence.Better offenseThe Wizards' offense had stalled at times over the previous two games without Porzingis and Morris in the mix. They had Porzingis back in this one, but were still missing Morris, with whom the Wizards score 8.3 more points per 100 possessions this season. They looked much better this time, however, scoring 119 points for the game on 51.2% shooting from the field and 46.7% from three.The three-point shooting was a huge uptick from the previous two games. After making just six threes against New York and Atlanta, the Wizards knocked down 14 triples against the Raptors. They did a terrific job moving the ball in the halfcourt and pushing the pace to create opportunities in transition.Gafford was a forceI asked a Raptors reporter before the game why Toronto had been so inconsistent this year, given their overall talent level and after a 2021-22 season in which they won 48 games. He said they badly needed a big man who could play defense, hence why they acquired Poeltl at the trade deadline. But Poeltl is just one guy and he alone couldn't guard both Porzingis and Daniel Gafford..Gafford was able to find open space early, especially in transition. In the second quarter, he threw down two alley-oops within a span of 30 seconds. The Raptors, as athletic as they are, didn't seem to have a great answer for Gafford's size, speed and ability to put pressure on the rim. He had 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting
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