With Kyle Kuzma out of action with a groin injury, Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe opened the game with three rookies and a second-year man, and the team promptly sprinted out to an early lead. It was the youngest starting lineup in franchise history — a group so young that Jordan Poole served as the grizzled veteran, and he’s just 25.
All of the kids had stellar moments, though none had more than Bilal Coulibaly. The second-year wing followed up a dominating defensive performance Monday night against Trae Young (when Young was defended by Coulibaly, the Atlanta Hawks guard shot 0-7 from the floor and committed five turnovers in the previous game) with a hyper-efficient offensive game and more stellar defense.