The Washington Wizards extended the longest current winning streak in the NBA by ending a decades-old losing streak on Monday.
They’ll look for their seventh straight victory when they visit Detroit on Wednesday.
Washington hadn’t won in San Antonio since December 1999 until its 127-106 triumph over the Spurs on Monday. The Wizards could finish off a perfect five-game road trip if they defeat the floundering Pistons.
“Knowing that this team has had our number for a long time, it’s just amazing that we can continue to build on the momentum we have been building on,” guard Bradley Beal said of the visit to San Antonio. “There’s no better feeling than that. At least for me, that boosted [the win] a little bit. Being here 11 years, haven’t won here ever — that’s kind of crazy. Feels good to knock that off the list.”
Reserve forward Deni Avdija apparently was feeling really good at the offensive end. He led the team with a career-high 25 points. Beal had 21 points, and five other Wizards reached double figures.
Avdija hit 10 of 12 shots from the field.
“It’s more of the quick decisions, where he’s not overthinking it,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “He’s making the right play at the right time. … If it feels like he’s got an angle and he can attack, he’s going to do that.”
Washington can start setting its sights on a franchise record for consecutive wins. The franchise’s all-time record is nine, which it has achieved a handful of times.
The Wizards are now just two games under .500.
“The (San Antonio) streak is done,” Avdija said. “Just to close that circle and be here and having a good game versus the Spurs and end that streak. I think everybody did a really great job competing. When we’re focused and sharing the ball, we’re a really dangerous team.”
This will be the second of three meetings between Washington and Detroit this season. Kyle Kuzma tallied 25 points in the Wizards’ 120-99 victory over the Pistons on Oct. 25.
Detroit, which begins a four-game homestand, has lost nine of its past 11 games.
Dallas superstar Luka Doncic overwhelmed the Pistons with a 53-point performance on Monday as the Mavericks pulled out a 111-105 victory.
Detroit point guards Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes fouled out trying to guard Doncic.
“We put him on the free-throw line 18 times. That’s a lot,” coach Dwane Casey said. “We have to do a better job of getting our hands back. There are certain things we were trying to do, and he’s such a good player. He’s going to figure it out sooner or later. We’re not the first and we won’t be the last.”
Despite Doncic’s outburst, the Pistons were down by just two points with under two minutes remaining. They came up empty in their last four possessions while getting outscored 28-21 during the quarter.
“We missed some good looks at the end,” Casey said. “We had three offensive fouls, stepped out of bounds twice. Just little things that you have to be disciplined and mature in those situations in closing time of the game to make those plays.”
Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 29 points. He’s averaging a career-best 21.4 points in his ninth NBA season.
–Field Level Media
