CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Wizards’ recipe for success entering Monday’s contest was stout defense that created easy transition buckets. The issue is they forgot the middle part — securing defensive rebounds.
The Wizards scored zero fastbreak points and were out-rebounded 30-19 in a first half that featured 19 second-chance points from the Charlotte Hornets. That trend continued in the second half, as the Hornets pulled away to hand Washington a 110-103 loss.
Kyshawn George, who scored 22 points in Washington’s win over the Chicago Bulls, stayed hot to begin Monday’s contest. The 6-foot-9 wing used the eight pounds of lean muscle he added this offseason to force his way into the paint on multiple occasions, one for a contested middy and the other for an easy layup after bullying Dennis Schröder in the post. The Wizards led 21-19 after the first quarter.
Washington’s stagnant halfcourt offense relied on Anthony Davis (29 PTS) isolations in the first half. That, combined with poor defensive rebounding, allowed Charlotte to grow a 10-point halftime lead behind 12 offensive rebounds.
The Wizards, as they did in Chicago, rallied to begin the third quarter. Alex Sarr forced a travel and added four points to cap a 9-2 burst that made it 56-53 Hornets. But even that run was derailed by an offensive rebound when Diabate’s effort guided the ball to Grayson Allen for a momentum-killing triple that sparked a 7-0 Hornets run.
