The Washington Wizards sprinted to a 15-point lead in the first quarter, which they promptly gave back — and more — in the second quarter. They wound up losing by 20 to a New Orleans Pelicans team missing Zion Williamson, its best player.
Washington’s defense failed catastrophically in the second quarter. The Pelicans shot 17-24 in the period, including 9-11 from three-point range, to score a whopping 47 points in the period. The Wizards’ offense wasn’t bad — they scored 34 points on 11-21 shooting (5-10 from deep) — but they still got stomped Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans.