Wizards end 2022-23 season with loss to Rockets

Wizards end 2022-23 season with loss to Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards lost to the Houston Rockets 114-109 on Sunday afternoon. Here are five takeaways from what went down...

Season finale

The Wizards and Rockets were each playing out the string of a losing season on Sunday when they found themselves in a closely fought battle in the finale of the 2022-23 campaign. The game was tied with four minutes left before the Rockets pulled away to take the win. The Wizards closed out the year having lost five of their final six games.

The Wizards played once again without a lot of their key players. The list of absences included Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Delon Wright, Monte Morris, Deni Avdija and Daniel Gafford.

With the loss, the Wizards finished the 2022-23 season at 35-47. Now they will embark on another important summer following a disappointing year.

Goodwin showed out

The biggest standout for the Wizards in this one was Jordan Goodwin, who made the most of running the offense as their starting point guard. He did an excellent job of scoring the ball with a career-high 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 3-for-8 from three. The Wizards made 14 threes as a team.

Not all of the young players we saw on Sunday will actually factor into the Wizards' rotation next season, but Goodwin figures to have a good chance to play a meaningful role. Though he's known for his defense, he has also shown some upside on the offensive end, including in this game. The more he can become a two-way threat, the more valuable he becomes for the Wizards.

Fly Guy Q

Quenton Jackson made his own case for a larger role next season with a strong game against Houston. He had 19 points and five assists, shooting 9-for-13 from the field. Per usual, he was a blur in transition and made a series of high-flying finishes around the rim. That included a few tough buckets through contact and a couple of alley-oops on the fastbreak assisted by Johnny Davis.

On those plays, Davis also showed his potential running the fastbreak. He is an excellent rebounder for a guard and so should have the chance to push the pace in transition. Davis does a good job of dribbling with his head up and makes well-timed passes on the move. Jackson, meanwhile, had the crowd on their feet with his dunks.

Todd started the finale

Isaiah Todd didn't get as many minutes as the Wizards' other young players initially when they started holding their rotation players out, but he got an extended run in Sunday's game. Todd was in the starting lineup at the four and ended up playing 45 minutes. He had seven points, 12 rebounds and four assists. He just didn't shoot well, going 2-for-13 from the field and 1-for-7 from three.

Todd has long been known for his offense, but he has really struggled with his efficiency the last two years in the Wizards' organization. Next year will be a big one, as it's the last season he has guaranteed on his contract with Washington.

Huff didn't play

While this final game was an excellent opportunity for the Wizards' young players to play, big man Jay Huff was not available. The reason is that he had already used up all of his allotted NBA games per his two-way contract. Huff signed a two-way deal with the Wizards on March 1 and, while usually players get 50 games where they can be active at the NBA level, for Huff that number was prorated and he already hit the max.

Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said before the game it was a bit of a surprise for the Wizards that they ended up playing him so much. But due to injuries and a shift in priorities for the team, the door was opened for him to appear in seven games down the stretch. Huff impressed in those games and will give the Wizards something to think about this summer as they ponder whether to retain him as a restricted free agent.