Poole Drowns Jokić and the Nuggets

Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) is congratulated by guard Jordan Poole (13) after dunking in the final seconds of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

By Wole Akinso (@Wole_USS)

Washington, DC— In a Capital One shocker, the Washington Wizards defeated the 2023 NBA champions Denver Nuggets 122-113. 

The Wizards led for most of the game, playing an unselfish brand of basketball.  The Wizards had 31 assists as a team leading to a lot of easy baskets.

“They recognized the shape that we wanted to be in to find the open guys and I thought we did a good job with our spacing. And that led to some easy baskets,” said Washington Wizards coach Brian Keefe.

The brand of basketball was fun to watch but the night was all highlighted by Wizards guard Jordan Poole.  Poole was fantastic tonight.  Poole finished the game with 39 points, going 9 of 20 from the three-point line. The nine three-pointers made was Poole’s career-high.  After the game, Brandon Scott from the Locked on Wizards Podcast asked Poole if he was ready to take the keys for this Wizards team.

“I think so, straight to it,” said Poole.  He added, “I know we got some guys out, so I can be ultra-aggressive really early in the game.  Just find a way to set up my teammates for easy looks.  I think that’s something big that I can kind of learned over the course of my career.”

He also had eight assists.  The Wizards needed all of Poole’s scoring in this game because three-time MVP Nikola Jokić was unstoppable.  Jokić finished the game with 56 points.  He kept the Denver Nuggets in the game.  Jokić, alone, went 23 of 38 (60 percent) from the field including going 3 of 5 from three.  The rest of the team went 23 of 56 (41 percent) from the field and went 2 of 19 from three. 

Jokić and the Nuggets were drawing closer in the fourth quarter, but Wizards guard Justin Champagnie stepped in up in the quarter.  He had a huge driving layup to put the Wizards ahead 118-111 with 1:12 left in the game.

“I got confidence in myself and in my game.  I put in a lot of work.  I’ve been in the league for about four years now.  So just trying to come in here and just show like yeah, I can stick, and I belong, and I can make plays for the team,” said Champagnie.

Champagnie had a career-high of 23 points.  It was his first start of the season. 

This Wizards (3-18) win snapped a 16-game losing streak.  The Wizards can’t think about this win too much because tomorrow night they’ll play Ja Morant and a tough Memphis Grizzlies team.