Julian Reese sets a new career-high, Will Riley dazzles as the Washington Wizards end a 16-game losing streak with a dominant road win against the Utah Jazz.
The streak is over.
In a game featuring two of the worst teams in the league, it was the Washington Wizards who dominated the Utah Jazz on the road en route to a blowout 133-110 win late on Wednesday night.
In his fifth NBA start and sixth career game, Julian Reese led the way in the win with 26 points on 75% shooting from the field while adding 17 rebounds, becoming the only rookie to post multiple games with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Reese was already up to 18 points and ten rebounds by halftime, joining John Wall as the only rookies in franchise history to record a double-double by halftime.
Will Riley wasn't far behind after adding ten rebounds, five assists and 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting in 22 minutes, doing so scoring inside and out in another impressive outing for the rookie wing.
Riley and Reese also became the first Wizards rookie tandem to secure a double-double in the same game since Wall and Jordan Crawford did so against the Los Angeles Clippers back on March 23, 2011.
Washington opened in complete control with Reese and Riley leading the way, combining for 19 points and 11 rebounds on 70% shooting from the field to help build an early double digit lead before expanding it to a 20, then 30 point lead midway through the second quarter. In the end, Washington went into the break with a 72-45 lead, their second-largest halftime lead of the season after leading by as many as 37.
But that appeared to be threatened in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter after the Jazz went on a 16-0 run to nearly make it a 13-point game following an and-one attempt on a made three, but Washington would keep its distance after pushing the lead back to a 20-point advantage in the closing minutes to get back in the win column for the first time since the first two games following the All Star break.
Now 17-55 overall, Washington will stay out west to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday, March 27 for a 10 PM tipoff. It marks the second and final meeting between the two teams this season after the Warriors secured an eight-point win just nine days ago.