Avdija scores 11 points, Wizards snatch their first win of the season
Washington saw its robust 16-point lead with 8:53 to play in the second whittled to three at halftime after Minnesota went on a 27-14 run to end the quarter.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
After five frustrating games, the Washington Wizards finally secured their first win of the NBA season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening.The struggling Wizards (1-5) defeated the Timberwolves (2-3) on their home court 130-109 by an onslaught led by Bradley Beal, who scored 31 points on Friday to become the first player in franchise history to start a season with at least 25 points in the team's first six games.Israeli phenom Deni Avdija also had a terrific start to 2021, scoring 11 points in his first - and, so far, the best overall - game of the year, adding another seven rebounds, three assists and three steals to his stat sheet.Washington saw its robust 16-point lead with 8:53 to play in the second whittled to three at halftime after Minnesota went on a 27-14 run to end the quarter.Undaunted, the Wizards found their stroke from the perimeter to begin the third quarter. Beal sank a 3-pointer before Neto converted from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions to push Washington's lead to 68-57.The Wizards didn't let up, with Thomas Bryant adding a pair of dunks and rookie Avdija and Beal each draining a 3-pointer as part of a 15-0 run. That surge gave Washington a 92-66 advantage, and the Wizards didn't look back. Reuters contributed to this report.