Washington survived a wild Bulls comeback to get to 2-1. Charlotte's 2-1 too, but without Coby White and Kon Knueppel. One of these teams leaves Monday at 3-1.
Washington blew the game open with a 40-20 third quarter and led by 21 with 10 minutes left. Then it nearly gave it all back.
Trae Young had 25 points and nine assists. Kyshawn George added 22 and nine rebounds, Anthony Davis had 19, and Justin Champagnie had 11 points and 14 rebounds. Washington's bigs won the boards, with 12 offensive rebounds, 21 second-chance points and 62 points in the paint.
Chicago scored on five straight possessions down the stretch and was one shot from a tie after Matas Buzelis hit a three with 23.3 seconds left. Rookie Caleb Wilson had 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls.
The Hornets beat Brooklyn, got routed by 47 points by Atlanta, then blew a 23-point lead against Miami before winning 115-110. Brandon Miller scored 34 in that one, but he's shooting 29.7% through three games. Tonight wraps up a three-game homestand.
Keefe said AJ Dybantsa is "progressing in a very positive way" with his left ankle sprain and will do more on-court work Tuesday. He didn't say whether Dybantsa will play Wednesday in Cleveland.
| Team | Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAS | AJ Dybantsa | OUT | Left ankle sprain |
| WAS | Tristan Vukčević | OUT | Left hip impingement |
| WAS | Jamir Watkins | OUT | Left ACL repair/surgery |
| WAS | Reece Beekman | OUT | G League two-way |
| CHA | Coby White | OUT | Left calf strain |
| CHA | Kon Knueppel | OUT | Left hamstring strain |
| CHA | Grant Williams | OUT | Right hamstring strain |
| CHA | Naz Reid | AVAILABLE | Illness |
Against Chicago, the bigs (Davis, Sarr, Ayton) produced 12 offensive rebounds and 62 paint points. Charlotte's projected frontcourt is Naz Reid and Moussa Diabaté (Rookie Wire, unofficial).
A 21-point lead turned into a one-possession game in Chicago. Don't give a Hornets team that came back against Miami any late life.
SI notes Charlotte has the NBA's worst offensive rating so far. Miller is at 29.7% from the field. Keep them in the half court and make them hit shots.
Young saw plenty of the Hornets in his Atlanta years and has led Washington in scoring in each of the last two games (NBA.com).
Kyshawn's two-way leap. Keefe likes his ability to defend bigger players: "Kyshawn is right at the top" of the guys putting in the time (NBA.com). He gets a scorer who just dropped 34 and is due for his shot to start falling.
Charlotte's vets. Newcomers Naz Reid and Grayson Allen closed out the Miami win, and coach Charles Lee says Dennis Schröder has been a defensive presence (NBA.com).
Justin Champagnie is the exact kind of player every team needs, and the Wizards have started to win thanks to him.
AJ Dybantsa is wise beyond his years already. Washington got a good one.
Brian Keefe said AJ Dybantsa is “progressing in a very positive way” with his left-ankle sprain and will do more on-court work tomorrow. Keefe did not say whether Dybantsa will play Wednesday in Cleveland.
REPORT: The Wizards are Ranked 18th in the NBA's New Power Rankings
Washington is in the Top 20 for the FIRST TIME since February 27th, 2023
Kyshawn George has a very unique connection to Wizards assistant coach Cody Toppert that helps prove just how small and global the basketball world can be
Bilal will still play a key role on this team when AJ comes back. My guess is Riley and Middleton’s minutes will be diminished
📻 Grant & Danny on 106.7 The Fan, live until 6:45 PM ET, with "Wiz off to 2-1 Start, Face Hornets Tonight" on the rundown (post).
The books have Charlotte by 2.5 at home. But the Hornets are missing two starters and haven't been able to score so far, and Washington's size just bullied Chicago on the glass. If the Wizards win the paint and don't take their foot off the gas in the fourth, they leave Charlotte above .500.
Our gut: Wizards in a close one. Pure vibes; there's no model behind it.
📚 Previous issues: Sat Oct 24: Wizards at Bulls · Fri Oct 23: Raptors at Wizards