The Washington Wizards kept things close for the first 21 minutes. Unfortunately, the NBA game lasts 48 minutes. The Portland Trail Blazers went on a tear to enter halftime with a 10-point lead, and then ran their lead as high as 24 early in the fourth quarter. Washington made one of those hey how ‘bout that? runs to slice Portland’s lead to 11 with two minutes to play, but the outcome was never in doubt. The Trail Blazers coasted home with a 15-point victory.
For Washington, playing youngsters and securing a loss seemed to be the primary goals.