They were feeling it.
Markieff Morris kicked the ball out for a wide open Bradley Beal 3-pointer that went down. Beal held his follow through at the top of the key. John Wall put both arms up before Beal even released the shot. After being down 16 points earlier in the night, Washington had moved in front by seven points with 5:18 to play in Oklahoma City. The return of Washington coach Scott Brooks to the place that fired him despite seven quality seasons was set for a pretty ending.
Then, the Wizards stalled. They scored just eight points in the final 5:18. Oklahoma City tied the game, Otto Porter missed at the buzzer, the Thunder predictably dominated the overtime and the discussion for the week around the Wizards went from a feeling of improvement following four wins in five games to a reminder of how slim their margin of error is.
The who and how of the last shot will be the prominent discussion. But, this loss is anchored in stagnant offense during the final five minutes. Washington was using a small lineup, putting Wall, Beal, Kelly Oubre, Porter and Morris on the floor together. It was effective. When Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan tried to push Brooks back into a big man by reinserting hefty Steven Adams, Brooks did not budge. Donovan eventually relented by scaling down to Domantas Sabonis in place of Adams, then went even smaller with Jerami Grant on the floor. The final five minutes would be decided by the modern NBA preference of small ball.
Instead of playing with speed, the Wizards chose to freeze their offense into the halfcourt. Washington attempted just seven field goals in the final 5:18. If the Wizards maintained that pace for the entire game, they would take about 63 shots. They took 98 total against Oklahoma City despite the massive slowdown in the final five-plus minutes.
To top off the lack of pace, Washington was taking bad shots and largely playing isolation — some coaches call this “hero ball.” A look at the Washington offensive possessions in the last 5:18:
1. John Wall walks the ball up the floor after a Thunder miss. He hands off to Beal, who hands back to him. Wall dribbles down the clock before going 1-on-1 with Russell Westbrook and missing an awkward shot in the lane from about 12 feet. Wall came into the game shooting 32.4 percent from 10-16 feet this season, according to Basketball-reference.com. For all intents and purposes, this is a zero-pass possession.
2. Off a missed free throw by OKC, Wall walks the ball up the court. Morris is fouled on his roll to the basket after receiving the ball. This one-pass possession leads to no points when Morris misses both free throws. Washington was 17-for-26 from the free-throw line on the night (65.4 percent).
3. The Thunder turns the ball over. Wall walks the ball up the court. He never passes and misses an elbow jumper after calling for a Morris screen.
4. Oklahoma City scores following two offensive rebounds by Russell Westbrook, who is more machine than man by now. Wall walks the ball up the court. The lead is five. They flatten out. With eight seconds on the shot clock, Morris screens. Wall passes to him. He is fouled and makes both free throws. Andre Roberson counters with a wide open 3. Washington calls timeout. It leads by four.
5. Out of the timeout, Beal handles the ball. He runs an exchange with Wall. Wall drives and gives the ball up to Porter for an easy shot. With 2:46 to play, the Wizards make their first field goal since the 5:18 mark. Essentially, though, it was still a one-pass possession. Wall and Beal just had small, unchallenged exchanges in the backcourt and out top.
6. Another 3-pointer for Oklahoma City. This time, Wall trots the ball up the floor before walking across midcourt. He gives the ball to Beal out top. Beal loses his dribbles on the isolation drive attempt. There was one pass. It resulted in Beal starting an isolation around 44 feet from the basket. Oladipo dunks off the turnover. The Thunder trails by a point.
7. Wall walks the ball up the floor. He dumps it into the post for Morris, who bangs his way into the paint and scores.
8. Westbrook scores. Wall walks the ball up the floor. He dribbles to the rim and makes a reverse layup thanks to a Morris screen.
9. Westbrooks misses. Beal walks the ball up the floor. He dribbles down the clock until Wesbrook switches onto him, which prompts Beal to make the one pass of the possession, back to Wall. Wall misses a 14-foot jumper. Porter tips the ball out. They run more clock before giving the ball to Morris for another iso in the post, a decision Brooks appears to instruct Wall to make. He misses a fadeaway jumper.
10. After Westbrook ties the game with a 3, Washington runs a high screen for Wall. His pass to Morris is deflected, falls to Porter, and he misses a fadeaway as time expires. They go on to lose in overtime.
All told in the last 5:18, Washington took seven shots in 10 possessions. It made what we will call four “creation passes” in those possessions: Wall’s two deliveries to Morris in the lane when he was fouled; Wall’s pass to Porter for a score off the drive; and the final possession when Wall tried to pass to Morris in the paint, an attempt that was deflected (counting this one is generous). Washington scored 65 points combined in the second and third quarters. They preceded a 21-point fourth quarter rooted in late stagnation, leading to another loss.
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