The Washington Wizards’ defeat is over.
The Wizards managed to avoid elimination from the NBA Cup on Tuesday night while earning what was only their second victory of the season. Washington earned a stunning 132-113 blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Capital One Arena. It was the franchise’s first win in over a month and its first home win since last April.
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The wizards stormed out and never looked back. They opened the game on an 18-2 run, then outscored the Hawks 45-23 in the first half to instantly take a huge lead.
The Wizards also went a perfect 8 of 8 from behind the arc as a group in the first 12 minutes, thanks to four 3-pointers from CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. It was the longest streak of 3-pointers to start a game in Wizards franchise history, and the longest streak in the league since 2023.
McCollum entered halftime with 27 points after scoring three more from behind the arc, which helped them take a 20-point lead into the break. From there, the rest was easy. The Wizards pushed their lead to 33 points late in the third, then cruised to the 19-point victory.
Kristaps Porzingis led the Hawks with 22 points and eight rebounds, and Onyeka Okongwu had 20 points coming off the bench. The Hawks are now 11-8 on the year and just 1-2 in the NBA Cup – although they still hold a sizable advantage over the Wizards in point differential. They had also won seven of their last nine games before Tuesday’s loss.
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McCollum finished with 46 points on 10 3-pointers in the win. Alex Sarr added 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Kispert added 19 points. He left the match early due to an apparent thumb injury, although further details are not yet known.
The Wizards now hold a record of 2-15 and are also 1-2 in the NBA Cup. Although they are one of the worst teams in the league so far this fall, and have an uphill battle ahead of them if they want to rally to make what would be their first playoff appearance since 2021, they have not yet been eliminated from the NBA Cup.
NBA Cup Night 5 Scoreboard
NBA Cup standings
East Group A
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Toronto Raptors (3-0, +53)
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Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1, +34)
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Washington Wizards (1-2, -44)
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Indiana Pacers (0-2, -31)
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East Group B
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Detroit Pistons (2-0, +27)
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Boston Celtics (1-2, -20)
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Philadelphia 76ers (0-2, -10)
East Group C
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Milwaukee Bucks (2-0, +16)
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New York Knicks (1-1, -2)
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Charlotte Hornets (0-2, -18)
West Group A
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Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0, +63)
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Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1, +53)
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Sacramento Kings (0-2, -45)
West Group B
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Los Angeles Lakers (2-0 +19)
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Los Angeles Clippers (2-0, +2)
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Memphis Grizzlies (1-1, +9)
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Dallas Mavericks (1-2, -13)
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New Orleans Pelicans (0-3, -17)
West Group C
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Denver Nuggets (2-1, +26)
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San Antonio Spurs (1-1, +10)
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Portland Trail Blazers (2-1, -18)
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Golden State Warriors (1-2, -28)
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Houston Rockets (1-2, +10)
