Inside The Wizards

Wizards Rookie Enjoys Career Night Against Hawks

The Washington Wizards saw the best performance to date from one of their first-year players.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) rebounds during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) rebounds during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Things are beginning to click on the offensive end for Washington Wizards rookie Alex Sarr.

Even though the Wizards lost 129-117 to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night to finish off a five-game winless road trip, the No. 2 overall pick out of France scored a career-high 20 points in the matchup.

Sarr earned praise from coach Brian Keefe after the game.

“I think one of the things that was great about Alex was his activity,” Keefe said. “Steals, blocked shots, offensive rebounding. Sometimes that just leads to you getting some good shots.”

Sarr scored 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. He also made a trio of triples and was a +10 while on the court in 31 minutes. That means the Wizards were a -22 when he was on the bench in 17 minutes, and that's when Washington lost the game.

Keefe further explained why Sarr has impressed him so far in his rookie year.

“I think the one thing that's great about Alex is that he does not waver and he has never wavered since I've been around him,” Keefe said. “He continues to play, he continues to compete. Shot doesn't go in, it doesn't affect how he plays on the other end. This is a guy who can move on to the next possession. It's really mature for someone his age to be able to do that. It's a great quality that he has.”

Sarr also shared how his confidence has always remained the same despite his struggles.

“You got to keep shooting at the end of the day,” Sarr said. “I feel like you just got to stay confident in your game.”

A game like this should definitely keep Sarr confident, and that will do wonders for him and the Wizards moving forward.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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