The Washington Wizards forced a season-high 27 turnovers en route to a 106-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Washington finished the game with seven players in double figures, including 11 points from Bradley Beal who just returned from a right leg injury.

Washington Spreads the Wealth

For the second game in a row the Washington Wizards had seven players score in double figures. With the rash of injuries that’s plagued this Washington club, balanced scoring has made this team dangerous despite not being at full strength.

John Wall led the Wizards with 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting and eight assists. Ramon Sessions came off the bench and scored 15 points and dished out five assists. Beal was limited to 23 minutes after missing the last 16 games and scored 11 points. Jared Dudley added 13 points, six rebounds and three steals.

The Wizards shot 45.2 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from behind the arc (12-of-27), and assisted on 27 of their 38 made field goals.

Efficient Offense Not Enough to Mask Turnovers

Milwaukee was shockingly very efficient on offense, as they shot 52.8 percent from the field. The majority of that came in the paint as they scored 62 of their 101 points in the paint. However, they were 1-of-8 from three and went 24-of-34 from the free throw line.

Khris Middleton led all scorers with 25 points. Jabari Parker added 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, while Greg Monroe had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals.

What did Milwaukee in was the insane amount of turnovers. Washington’s defense was very active but the Bucks turned it over 27 times that led to 36 Washington points. Of those turnovers, 18 of them were via Wizards steals. Washington capitalized on those steals as they got out in transition, leading to 29 fast break points.

Wizards Take Control in First Half

After the Bucks tied the game at seven early in the first quarter, the Wizards would go on a 22-11 run to end the quarter. Washington recorded eight steals in that quarter, five of which came from Garrett Temple.

Washington extended their lead to 19 points with 6:50 left in the first half on a three-pointer by Bradley Beal. Milwaukee would fight back a little but the Wizards still led by 13 going into the half, 56-43.

Milwaukee Storms Back In Third Quarter

The Wizards seemed to relax once the second half started. Milwaukee was the aggressor and started the quarter on a 10-2 run to cut the lead to six. Antetokounmpo would score 13 of his 19 points in the third quarter, and led the Bucks to a 74-71 lead after the third quarter ended. Milwaukee ended the quarter on a 13-2 to suck the life out of the Verizon Center crowd.

Washington Ramped Up Defense and Sealed the Victory

After getting out to a huge lead, it could’ve been easy for the Wizards to give in after they blew it and got down by three. However, Washington showed the resilience of a good team as they came out in the fourth quarter and went on a 22-6 run to take complete control of the game.

During that stretch, the Bucks turned the ball over 10 times that led to 13 Wizards points. Milwaukee would cut the deficit to four at 100-96 with 27 seconds left, but Bradley Beal and John Wall would sink free throws to ensure a 106-101 Wizards victory.

This is Washington’s third straight victory and pulls within one game of the .500 mark.

Up Next

The Wizards will go on the road and face the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, while the Bucks head home and face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.