Wizards Complete U-Turn

On April 6, 2021, the Washington Wizards were 17-32. They were struggling with the very basics of basketball and very much in danger of missing the playoffs despite trying very hard to make them, which is just about the worst possible outcome for an NBA season. And then something happened: The mighty Wiz boys started to win. Disappointing the haters and losers everywhere, the Wizards went on a 17-6 run, capping off the turnaround today with a 115-110 win over the Hornets to clinch eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

In a game that mimicked their season, the Wizards trailed for most of the way, and by as much as 16 in the first half. Bradley Beal, coming back from a hamstring injury, looked to be in pain at certain moments but still scored 25 points, including two critical free throws in the game's final seconds. Russell Westbrook earned his 184th triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists while producing his usual balance of winning and horrific plays.

The Wizards will now play Boston in the play-in tournament on Tuesday, and a win there would earn them a first-round playoff series against the Nets. More importantly, it would heap tremendous amounts of shame upon the Celtics, which is something that would make everyone happy.