Wizards Snap Nine-Game Losing Streak With Gritty Win Over Blazers

The Washington Wizards finally found the antidote to their woes, snapping a grueling nine-game losing streak with a thrilling 115-111 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night. It was a night of milestones and momentum swings, with young stars shining on both sides and the Wizards notching their first home win against Portland since January 16, 2017. For a team that entered the game with the NBA’s worst record and a home crowd desperate for something to cheer about, this victory felt like a long-overdue breath of fresh air.

Coming into the contest, the Wizards were reeling. Sitting at 10-34, Washington had dropped nine straight and was anchored at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The pressure was on, and the stakes were high: the Wizards hadn’t won at home in three tries, and this matchup marked the opener of a five-game homestand. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers arrived with a 23-24 record, themselves licking wounds from a two-game skid, and were hoping to solidify their playoff ambitions in the tightly packed Western Conference.

Washington’s roster this season has been the definition of youth movement, featuring the league’s second-youngest squad with ten players aged 22 or younger. Those youngsters have logged major minutes—over 6,500 combined, trailing only the Utah Jazz in that department. But youth didn’t mean inexperience on this night. Second-year center Alex Sarr, who’s quickly become the team’s anchor, put on a show for the ages. Sarr poured in a career-high 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and swatted six shots, all while attempting a staggering 29 field goals—another personal best. “I just wanted to be aggressive and help my team get over the hump,” Sarr said after the game, his smile as wide as the Potomac.

Portland, for its part, was not about to roll over. The Blazers, playing the second game of a tough three-game East Coast trip, were coming off a disappointing 102-94 loss to Boston just the night before. They were also dealing with a laundry list of injuries: Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Duop Reath, Kris Murray, and Blake Wesley were all sidelined. Deni Avdija, Portland’s leading scorer and a former Wizard, was questionable with a back issue but suited up and made his presence felt with 17 points and 12 rebounds against his old squad. Robert Williams III was also listed as questionable but did not feature prominently in the stat sheet.

The game itself was a rollercoaster, with momentum swinging wildly in the final minutes. The Wizards led 60-53 at halftime, but the Blazers stormed back in the third and early fourth quarters, eventually taking a 104-100 lead. That’s when Washington’s young guns stepped up. Bub Carrington, who’d been quiet for much of the night, sparked the decisive run with a three-point play. Kyshawn George, another cornerstone of the Wizards’ rebuild, drilled a clutch three-pointer to give Washington the lead for good. George, who ranks second on the team in scoring (15.5 points per game) and leads in assists (5.1), was calm under pressure, later sinking a crucial free throw with just 15.5 seconds left to push the Wizards ahead 113-111.

Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe was a force to be reckoned with, torching the Wizards for 31 points and nearly pulling off a late-game heist. After his three-pointer cut the deficit to three, he followed up with a thunderous dunk to make it a one-point game with 20.5 seconds remaining. But Sharpe’s contested jumper in the waning moments missed its mark, and Khris Middleton—making his return after being listed as questionable with a foot injury—iced the game with a pair of free throws. Middleton’s steady hand was exactly what the Wizards needed to close out a tense finish.

Despite the loss, Portland dominated the glass, out-rebounding Washington 69-46 and pulling down a staggering 29 offensive boards. The Blazers turned those into a 31-14 edge in second-chance points, thanks in large part to rookie big man Donovan Clingan, who finished with 14 points and an eye-popping 20 rebounds. Yet, for all their hustle, the Blazers couldn’t capitalize at the charity stripe, shooting just 13-of-23 on free throws—a statistic that loomed large in such a tight contest.

For the Wizards, the win was about more than just breaking the streak. It was a showcase of resilience and growth for a rebuilding squad that’s taken its lumps this season. Sarr’s monster outing was emblematic of the team’s promise, and contributions from George, Carrington, and the returning Bilal Coulibaly (who, like Avdija, had missed time with a back issue) underscored the depth of young talent on the roster. The Wizards’ defense, often maligned for allowing a league-worst 123.1 points per game, came up big when it mattered most, holding Portland to just 111 points despite the Blazers’ relentless rebounding.

“We’ve been working hard every day, and tonight it finally paid off,” Sarr told reporters. “It feels amazing to give our fans something to celebrate.” The home crowd, starved for a win, responded with a roar as the final buzzer sounded—a sound that had become all too rare at Capital One Arena this season.

On the other side, Portland will have to regroup quickly. The Blazers have now dropped three straight and will wrap up their East Coast swing with a visit to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks on January 30. With injuries piling up and playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the pressure is mounting for head coach Chauncey Billups and his squad. Sharpe’s explosive scoring and Clingan’s glass dominance offer reasons for optimism, but the team will need to clean up its free throw shooting and find more offensive rhythm to get back on track.

For Washington, the focus shifts to sustaining this newfound momentum. The Wizards will look to build on their breakthrough when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on January 29. With the young core gaining confidence and the losing streak finally behind them, there’s a glimmer of hope in the nation’s capital—something that’s been in short supply for much of this campaign.

Tuesday night’s win may not erase the struggles of the season, but for one night at least, the Wizards reminded everyone that patience, persistence, and a little bit of home-court magic can go a long way.