The Washington Wizards lost their second game in as many nights on Wednesday against a Los Angeles Clippers team that also sat their top-5 pick. The Keaton Wagler-less Clippers outlasted the AJ Dybantsa-less Wizards in a 108-94 affair at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The two teams played at a frenetic pace to open the game, with both sides looking to get on the break at every opportunity. Just as the Wizards and Clippers went back and forth in transition, so did the lead. The first quarter featured 8 lead changes with neither team getting ahead by more than 6 points. Seth Trimble and Kadary Richmond each had 5 to end the opening period deadlocked at 25.
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The Wiz kids tried to pull away in the second quarter with an early 10-0 run to take a 35-27 lead. Trimble led the way with 11 points in the period. His three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left would have given Washington a 1-point lead at the break if not for a rough defensive lapse in the final seconds that pushed the Clippers ahead 52-51.
The game began to unravel for Washington midway through the third quarter. After a Trimble triple knotted the game up at 56, LAC went on a 17-5 run to take the game’s first double-digit advantage.
Trimble and Chris Livingston tried to carry the Wizards’ comeback bid late, but never threatened as the Clippers cruised to a 108-94 victory.
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Trimble posted a team-high 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting, while Livingston tallied 20 points and 9 rebounds. Richmond and starting center Norris Agbakoko threw a block party with 7 swats between them.
Unfortunately, the loss means that the Wizards won’t make the cut for the NBA Summer League playoffs. But the team will still have a consolation matchup to close out the Vegas slate.
