Wizards hang with 76ers before falling short despite Russell Westbrook’s triple-double

By Ava Wallace,

The theme of the Washington Wizards’ first postgame media session of the season, delivered over videoconference Wednesday night from Philadelphia after a 113-107 loss to the 76ers played in an empty arena, could be summed up in three words: “No moral victories.”

Washington had done just about as much as it could in its season opener to keep up with a Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The Wizards had Russell Westbrook deliver a triple-double in the first three quarters, but they were without starting forward Rui Hachimura and three-point specialist Davis Bertans played on a minutes restriction.

They led by 12 in the third quarter, a product of fluid, crisp offense and defense that was more solid than just about at any point of last season. The miscommunication and tight plays that undid Washington in the end were, all things considered, understandable.

With more than two minutes remaining and Washington’s closing lineup of Westbrook, Bradley Beal, rookie Deni Avdija, Bertans and Thomas Bryant on court, a miscommunication on defense allowed Simmons to put Philadelphia up 101-99 and the Wizards couldn’t recover. With 69 seconds left, Embiid made a driving layup past Bryant to put the 76ers ahead for good.

“It was winning time, the last four minutes of the game, we’ve really got to lock in and be in tuned to what’s going on on both ends of the floor,” Beal said. “I mean, we don’t like moral victories, but we feel good about where we are. Feel like we played and did enough to win the game, and we didn’t even play great. . . . I kind of put that one on my shoulders to close us out more, we have a young team. The more we’re in these situations, the better we’ll be.”

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Beal finished with 31 points on 11-for-22 shooting, though he made perhaps his most significant impact on the defensive end.

Westbrook became the first Wizards player to record a triple-double in his debut. He had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists.

The veteran made a difference from the start, though he also had six turnovers — part of why he assessed his debut as “not good enough” after the game.

The Wizards committed 19 turnovers — far too many, as Brooks noted afterward — but that’s also an issue that can be addressed.

Westbrook agreed with his coach on that.

“It’s just trying to make the right plays, at least for myself, get in position to try to thread the needles when I can just be aggressive and just make the easy play, whether it’s a shot or a quick swing. . . . A lot of them I’m not mad at, actually,” Westbrook said. “Just trying to make the right play, I’m okay with. It’s our first game actually together playing a full game.”

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Avdija, 19, earned the start in his inaugural NBA game, debuting at the wing spot that Brooks has said could remain fluid throughout the season. On Wednesday, the Wizards were more concerned with taking care of the starting forward spot usually occupied by Hachimura, who will miss approximately the first three weeks of the season with pinkeye. Brooks started 21-year-old Isaac Bonga in his place with Troy Brown Jr. backing him up.

Avdija finished with seven points (2 for 2 from the field) and four rebounds.

Bonga helped Washington off to a solid opening stretch before Westbrook subbed out, the Wizards’ energy took a dip and Philadelphia pounced to end the first quarter on a 14-2 run with momentum that carried into the second.

Washington trailed by 13 points in the second quarter before Brooks put his starters back in. Beal hit a three with just over four minutes left in the half then passed the baton to Bertans, who had looked rusty as could be in his lone preseason appearance Thursday, going 1 for 7 from three-point range against the Detroit Pistons.

That game, off as he felt, was apparently more than enough of a tuneup for the Latvian. He nailed three long threes in a row to tie the game and give the Wizards a much-needed jolt on offense but, because of a preset minutes restriction, was on the bench for much of the fourth quarter when his team needed him most.

“You win in this league with toughness and defense, and we did that tonight, we had a chance to win this game,” Brooks said. “It’s going to take time.”