Quick Hits: NBA Cup Win, Wizards' Stars Shine, Defensive Success

The Washington Wizards picked up the second-ever win in NBA Cup group play after taking down the Charlotte Hornets, 95-79, on Friday night. Breaking down the three main takeaways to know from the win as the Wizards move to 3-3 overall:

The Stars Shine 

With a long list of notable local figures in attendance including Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs, the Wizards' three stars stuck out at home after combining for 63 points on Friday night.

Anthony Davis notched his third double-double in a Wizards' uniform after totaling 25 points and 13 rebounds, while shooting 90% from the free throw line in his best performance since the debut vs. Milwaukee. Trae Young wasn't far behind him where he proved to be the source of the Wizards' second quarter offense after amassing ten points and three assists in nine minutes. Young went on to finish with 21 points and nine assists in 38 minutes.

AJ Dybantsa also didn't disappoint after tallying 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals while shooting 45.5% from the floor in nearly 30 minutes. That nearly included a putback slam midway through the second half, but it did feature a made three for the second consecutive game as Dybantsa was able to showcase his full scoring arsenal in the win.

Tre Johnson Update

After being ruled out on Wednesday and ruled day-to-day due to right achilles soreness, Tre Johnson was available on Friday night as he finished with four points and two rebounds in nearly 13 minutes, doing so while shooting 2-of-7 from the field and 0-of-3 from three point.

That marked one of the lowest minute totals after Khris Middleton played under five minutes and took one shot, while Will Riley and Tre Mann checked into the game over the final minute. Friday night featured a bit tighter of a rotation with Bilal Coulibaly stepping back in as the sixth man with Bub Carrington adding nine points in 19 minutes and Deandre Ayton with three points and three rebounds in nearly 17 minutes.

Defensive Success

The Wizards proved to be the more efficient team after finishing with nine fewer turnovers than the Hornets, though the 18 offensive rebounds turning into 14 second chance points proved to be a concern. Yet that also came as the Hornets totaled just 79 points, the fewest the Wizards have allowed in a game since Feb. 7, 2015. To make it even more impressive, the Hornets accomplished the feat while taking 101 shots from the field and 56 from three, only to shoot 29.7% from the field and 21.4% from three.

The Wizards' defense has been a work in progress through the first five games, even if it was a clear point of emphasis through the offseason, but Friday night delivered maybe the most encouraging of all performances.