Olynyk spoils opener with last-second layup
Washington Wizards fans remember Miami Heat big man Kelly Olynyk as the villain in green from a long-deceased rivalry. Olynyk had once played in Boston and got into a scuffle with Kelly Oubre Jr. and although he has switched jerseys on Thursday night, boos cascaded down whenever Olynyk touched the ball.
However after the Heat’s 113-112 victory over the Wizards, fans will have a new reason to jeer Olynyk, the scoundrel spoiling Washington’s 2018-19 season opener.
Olynyk scored the game-winning layup with 0.2 seconds remaining, outhustling the Wizards under the boards for the Heat’s 22nd offensive rebound. Overall, Miami pulled down 55 rebounds compared to the Wizards’ 40.
Although John Wall produced the fourth 20-plus opening night game of his career (26 points and nine assists), his missed 26-footer before Miami’s last possession highlighted Washington’s off shooting night from the three-point arc (7 of 26).
Still, Wall carried the team offensive through the first half with 18 points and played aggressive defense with three blocks. While Wall flexed early, Bradley Beal could only find a rhythm late.
Beal could not escape the whistle and played out of rhythm due to long stretches on the bench. When Beal picked up his fifth foul early in the final quarter, he jogged to a baseline seat and plopped down. Frustrated, Beal slapped the stanchion before heading to the bench. Beal returned to the court with 6:44 remaining and though he still could not connect with his jump shot – 2 for 7 from beyond the arc – he made a driving three-point play and caught a lob pass from Wall for the point guard’s ninth assist.
Beal finished with 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting and Jeff Green came off the bench for 17 poitns.
While the NBA opener is supposed to set the table for the new season, the Wizards could not let a few old habits fade away.
There were head-scratching technical fouls when Wall rushed into a slight tussle for the ball between his teammate and Hassan Whiteside but instead pushed Derrick Jones Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. chirping at Whiteside after a ferocious putback dunk.