The Washington Wizards blew right past the Sacramento Kings on Sunday to stay undefeated in NBA Summer League play. The Wiz kids won 104-85 in front of a substantial crowd packed inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
AJ Dybantsa started the game off with a made triple after missing all 5 of his three-point attempts during Washington’s Summer League opener. He seemed to be hunting for outside looks early, in what briefly felt like a prove-it move to silence his critics. He finished the game 1-for-6 from distance.
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Anyone bothered by AJ forcing his jump shot need only watch him block Acuff’s three on one end, then race down the court on the other end for a layup to feel better.
The Wizards were not as sharp when the starters came off the floor. The bench unit only scored 4 points in the final 3:51 of the first quarter to fall behind 24-18.
Dybantsa started the 2nd quarter and set the tone on defense. He was hounding ball-handlers and forcing deflections, which helped keep the Kings scoreless for nearly three minutes.
AJ’s offensive gravity helped open up the offense, sparking a 12-0 run to begin the period. He made a few good passes that did not result in assists on the box score. Will Riley got hot in the second as Washington raced out to a 54-41 lead at halftime.
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Dybantsa also had a fantastic finish at the rim, once again contorting his 6’9” frame to guide in a layup. He got to the line 4 times and made every free throw, giving him 17 before the break.
The second half belonged to Riley. The second-year swingman went supernova on Sacramento, scoring 25 of his 32 points after the break.
Riley got red-hot from three-point range. He finished the game 6-for-8 from deep, including a couple of And-1s that made it seem like he had a magnet guiding the ball through the rim.
Riley led all scorers with his 32 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Dybantsa, despite short-arming his jumper for most of the night, still stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks.
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Washington will be back in action again on Tuesday in a duel against the Chicago Bulls and No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson.
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