WASHINGTON — It’s a season of growth for the Washington Wizards, who sport the NBA’s seventh-youngest roster and start three players under 22.
That doesn’t mean they’re devoid of criticism like they were during three tanking seasons. But it provides necessary perspective when they erase an 11-point deficit and drill multiple game-tying shots to force double overtime in a crushing 144-140 loss to a talented Detroit Pistons squad on Thursday.
It marked the team’s sixth straight defeat amid a tumultuous stretch of mostly undisciplined basketball. But it was the competitive effort this season is meant for.
“[The Pistons] were one of the top teams in the NBA for a reason last year. That’s the bar we got to get to,” Trae Young said. “We got to continue to get better … We’ve got a long way to go. It’s definitely tough when you don’t win a game like that when you play so well. But if we continue to play like this, I can see ourselves winning a lot of games.”
Young scored 37 points and added 14 assists in his best showing of the season. He scored or assisted on 11 straight Wizards points to spark their fourth-quarter comeback. His deep three over two defenders as time expired sent the contest to overtime.
