John Wall on 0-2 hole vs. Raptors: ‘Just stay cool’

John Wall repeated a small phrase as he shared his thoughts on facing another 0-2 playoff hole. 

A year ago, the Wizards returned home in the second round after losing two games to the Boston Celtics. They won the next two, eventually falling in seven. 

This season, it’s the top-seeded Toronto Raptors that have jumped all over the Wizards.

“Just stay cool,” Wall said. “Just stay cool.” 

The Wizards aren’t panicking, but they know they need to make some serious adjustments ahead of Friday night’s Game 3 at Capital One Arena. Namely, Wall and others said they have to avoid starting slow and stay aggressive.

Coach Scott Brooks said he wants the Wizards to “lock-in” defensively.

So far, that’s been a challenge.

The Raptors jumped out to a 12-4 lead in Game 1, and led by as many as 22 points in the first quarter of Game 2. Defensive miscues from the Wizards were responsible for both of those starts, and it’s something Washington needs to fix for the rest of the series.

“We’re going to have to do a lot of good things to win,” Brooks said. “We don’t have to play perfect, but we’ve got to play with great effort. We’re going to have to do a lot of things defensively, that we’ve done in spurts, but we’ve got to do it with more consistency. And we have to knock in some shots along the way.”

The Wizards have had challenges consistently getting on the same page, to this point.

In Game 2, ESPN captured Wall arguing with center Marcin Gortat on the bench, while Bradley Beal buried his head in his hands. A Sports Illustrated writer quipped, “The 2018 Wizards in one photo.” The clip captured the perceived dysfunction in the Wizards’ locker room. It soon went viral on social media.

Wall, who saw the clip, said he and Gortat were discussing defensive coverages during the conversation, adding the clip looked worse than what was actually being said.

But perceptions aside, the Wizards need to get on the same page defensively. DeMar DeRozan erupted for 37 points in Game 2, while the Raptors’ bench took over in Game 1. The 59-win Raptors can throw a number of looks at the Wizards, and they haven’t even had an All-Star performance from starter Kyle Lowry yet.

The Wizards, though, showed signs of being able to stop the Raptors in the second half of Tuesday’s 130-109 loss. They cut a 23-point lead to five, taking away the 3-pointer in the process. Toronto was 2-of-13 from beyond the arc after halftime.

To limit the deep ball, the Wizards started switching on defense.

“Switching works,” said guard Ty Lawson, who logged a surprising 31 minutes despite being signed last week. “I mean with Kyle, he gets downhill on the big, he’s able to find somebody. But when we started switching, they didn’t know what to do. They didn’t have no offense for that.”

Lawson said the Wizards need to be more aggressive — on both sides of the ball.

Brooks acknowledged they need more from Beal and small forward Otto Porter, as well. Beal went 3-for-11 in Game 2, while Porter didn’t register a 3-point attempt. Both are fixtures of the Wizards’ offense, rounding out the Wizards “Big 3” alongside Wall.

Brooks said the Wizards need to do a better job of finding Beal, and he met with Wall and Beal to emphasize the point. Wall said he and Beal often discuss mid-game on which plays to run for him in the half-court.

Porter, meanwhile, is important to the Wizards offense because he’s their best 3-point shooter. If the Wizards are going to try and keep up with the Raptors, Porter has to contribute from deep. The Georgetown product played just 25 minutes, and reserve Kelly Oubre saw 31.

The disparity was surprising, but Brooks said he needs guys to “play their minutes well.”

“It’s not an equal opportunity league,” Brooks said. “Ninety shots, we’re not going to divide it equally into 13 men. It’s just the way it is. Everybody doesn’t get a rhythm. You’ve still got to go out there and play well, and worry about how you’re going to impact the game.”