Inside The Wizards

Wizards Coach Shares Takeaways After Hawks Loss

The Washington Wizards couldn't get the job done against the Atlanta Hawks.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) fouls against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) fouls against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are losers of seven-straight games after falling to the Atlanta Hawks 129-117 in their NBA Cup opener on Friday night inside State Farm Arena.

While the Wizards held a double-digit lead in the first half, an 11-point second quarter brought the team back to reality as the Hawks raced out way ahead.

The Hawks built a lead as large as 28 points, but the Wizards turned it into a respectable 12-point defeat by the end of the night.

“I thought we came out tremendous in the first quarter, you know, that was one of our big things is we wanted to start off the game well,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said postgame. “We came out, we punched first and give them credit. They came out and they got us in that start of the second quarter, they started getting a little more physical and they made a good run, so credit to them.”

The Wizards have proven over the course of the season that they can play well in small stretches. However, they have been unable to put together long periods of strong, successful basketball. That has a lot to do with their youth and inexperience, but the lows cannot get as low as it got against the Hawks.

There appears to be a snowball effect whenever things are good or bad. When they are good, the Wizards could be a scoring machine. But when they are bad, it is ugly.

The Wizards will take this game and apply it towards the future, much like the 10 others before it, in hopes of learning and growing.

The Wizards are back in action tomorrow night as they take on Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

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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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