Washington Wizards Trailing the Atlanta Hawks at Halftime
The second quarter put the Washington Wizards in a hole against the Atlanta Hawks as they were outscored 42-28.
A great first quarter from Wizards Kyle Kuzma gave them a 30-28 lead heading into the second quarter.
READ MORE: What Wizards Must do to Stop Hawks
But the second quarter had a much different feel with Washington center Daniel Gafford heading to the bench with foul trouble the Hawks took advantage, growing their lead to a 70-58 halftime score.
Rebounding had been an issue in the first two matchups with Atlanta and it is hurting the Wizards again tonight.
The Hawks have 14 more rebounds than Washington and have 13 second chance points compared to the Wizards two.
Washington's leading scorer is Kuzma who has 20 points including five three-pointers.
On the other side Atlanta guard Trae Young has 18 points which is tied for the team high.
It is no surprise Young is having success as he does almost every night, but Hawks forward Jalen Johnson having 18 points also is giving them a legit third scoring option.
Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks Game Predictions (12-31-23)
For the Wizards to come back they need to rebound a lot better, which isn't likely, and shoot the three-pointer much better as right now they're 7-for-27.
It isn't looking good for Washington to end the 2023 calendar year with a win, but maybe Kuzma can get hot again and carry them to victory.
You can follow Gage Sheets on X @SheetsG23
Follow Inside The Wizards on Facebook
Follow Inside The Wizards on X
Keep up with all Washington Wizards news on the SI.com Washington Wizards team page