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.
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.
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.
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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