Wizards fall to Hawks, drop fourth straight game

Wizards fall to Hawks, drop fourth straight game originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Washington Wizards lost to the Atlanta Hawks 134-116 on Wednesday night. Here are five takeaways from what went down...

4 straight losses

The Wizards played the Hawks in a pair of games two weeks ago that had an entirely different meaning than the season series finale between these teams on Wednesday in Atlanta. Those prior matchups had significant playoff implications for both sides, while only the Hawks had a lot riding on this one.

The end result was another Hawks win and another Wizards loss, as Washington has now dropped their last four games as they continue to fall in the standings. The loss helped their cause in the draft lottery, while the win for the Hawks will aid their hopes of securing the sixth seed in the East.

The Wizards now sit 34-46 on the season with only two games remaining, each of them at home. This recent skid likely has some gamblers out there sweating, as the Wizards' over/under win total before this season was 35 1/2 games. It's looking like it will be the under.

Gafford went off

The Wizards' big-man rotation was a strength overall in this game despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. Jay Huff played well and so did Daniel Gafford who came through with a career-high 25 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. He shot 8-for-10, continuing his remarkably efficient season.

Gafford is now shooting 72.7% on the year overall. He has shown progress this season on both ends of the floor, but especially in the way he has maximized his opportunities on the offensive end. Gafford hit his stride doing that when he was moved into the starting lineup and was able to reap the benefits of playing alongside an array of scorers. But the fact he's continuing to shine with them suggests he's becoming less dependent on the personnel around him.

Huff again

This was another good game for Huff, who set a career-high with 17 points the night before in D.C. He followed that up with 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks against Atlanta, including two three-pointers. He made two threes against the Bucks and then said afterward he rarely makes them, yet he did the same thing the very next night.

Huff is apparently surprising even himself with how well he's played in recent games. At this point in time, the Wizards have to feel good about the fact he is a restricted free agent. The Wizards have to like what they are seeing from him at the moment and have the chance to see where this goes.

Defense optional

The Wizards were missing about three-quarters of their rotation and the Hawks are a top-10 offense, and that proved to be a bad mix for Washington. Atlanta found little resistance scoring the ball as they put up 134 points while shooting 51.8% from the field and 43.3% (13-for-30) from three. They even shot 35-for-40 (87.5%) from the free-throw line.

Atlanta scored 33 points in the first quarter, 34 in the second, 39 in the third and then 28 in the fourth. They had 30 assists and Trae Young (25 points) accounted for 16 of them. The one thing the Wizards did well defensively was making adjustments on the three-point line. The Hawks made seven threes in the first quarter, but only six in the final three quarters combined. Still, it was a rough night for their defense.

Todd got in late

Injuries and a shift in priorities for the Wizards in recent weeks have opened the door for young players to see a lot more floor time. There has been one glaring exception, however, and that is Isaiah Todd, the team's 2021 second-round pick. Todd had seen his minutes dwindle with the Capital City Go-Go towards the end of their season and, though he's with the Wizards now, he isn't getting the same look the team's other prospects are.

Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said before Tuesday's game that would change and indeed it did, as Todd checked in with just over three minutes to go. It was the first time he's played for the Wizards since Nov. 28. Todd is under contract through next season with the 2024-25 season non-guaranteed. So, he's set to be back next year, he just isn't being prioritized like the other young players are at the moment.