The Washington Wizards, who felt disrespected by JaVale McGee's late-game 3-point attempt in the final seconds of the Warriors' blowout win Sunday, apparently forgot they've shot three similar final-second shots recently in lopsided victories.
Wizards players Brandon Jennings and Bradley Beal, as well as Washington coach Scott Brooks, were livid when McGee launched from distance to avoid a shot-clock violation with 6.9 seconds left in the Warriors' 139-115 win.
"That's like a basketball rule. You don't shoot the ball, period," Beal said. "Take the turnover, especially if you're up 20 or however much you're up. You're not respecting the game."
No disrespect to the Wizards, but that's a bit hypocritical when you realize what they've done on three occasions since Jan. 16. Holding huge leads and facing a dwindling shot-clock with less than 10 seconds left, here's how the Wizards reacted:
March 24 vs. Brooklyn: With Washington up 129-108 with 10 seconds remaining in the game, and 4.8 left on the shot clock, Wizards backup Trey Burke shot a 3-pointer. He air-balled it.
Jan. 27 at Atlanta: With Washington up 109-83 with 10 seconds left on the game clock, and seven seconds on the shot clock, Wizards reserve Tomas Satoransky shot a corner 3 and made it.
Jan. 16 vs. Portland: With Washington leading 120-99 with eight seconds left in the game, and 2.4 remaining on the shot clock, Satoransky launched a 3-pointer. He air-balled it.
There were a couple of similarities in all three of those Wizards' 3-point attempts: None of the Wizards' opponents complained publicly about the shots, and none of the Wizards apologized for shooting them.
