Inside The Wizards

Wizards Bounce Back Despite Loss

The Washington Wizards are making some small improvements.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 22, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) drives to the basket as Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) drives to the basket as Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In this story:

While the Washington Wizards couldn't get the job done and beat the Boston Celtics, they showcased a much stronger effort against them compared to their previous two games.

After losing to the New York Knicks earlier in the week, Wizards coach Brian Keefe laid into his team and gave them a wake-up call.

"I'm the leader of this team. I'm the head coach of this team." Keefe said after losing to the Knicks. "So I'll take the responsibility for the last two nights, not playing up to the competitive disposition that we should be playing with, especially defensively. That will be addressed as a group and we will get better. But that wasn't what we need to be, what our standards were. And we have to own that. And we have to look at ourselves and we have to get better."

It's safe to say the Wizards woke up, competing through most of the game against the defending champion.

“I mean our guys were in their bodies. We were physical, we were committed. We tried to contest everything tonight and I think we show what we're capable of but that was a good step forward for our team,” Keefe said postgame.

The Wizards know that they will lose plenty games this season. They already have with their 2-12 start, but as long as they remain competitive in these losses, they know that will eventually translate into wins later in the season once teams get tired.

There's a difference between losing close and learning and developing versus getting outright blown out like the previous two games, and the Wizards are making that jump.

The Wizards are back in action today against the Indiana Pacers, the other team that was in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
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.

Home/Washington Wizards News