By Jacob Calvin Meyer - The Washington Times - Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Kyle Kuzma’s first season in Washington can be defined by two things — that ugly pink sweater and clutch 3-pointers.

The oversized pink sweater, panned across the league by former teammates and friends after Kuzma donned it in mid-November, was an example of the forward’s unconventional fashion sense and acceptance of his own quirkiness.

It also speaks to the confidence that doesn’t just live in Kuzma’s closet. It’s an assuredness that shows up on the court, when it counts, in the clutch.

Kuzma is a confident guy, Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said about the former Los Angeles Laker. “He’s played in big moments and he’s had a big role on a championship team. I don’t know if it’s that or he’s just not worried about it, he’s not afraid of the moment. … I give him a lot of credit. He stepped up and made big plays late.”

Kuzma is statistically one of the most clutch players in the NBA this season, and his success in tight games is a large reason why the Wizards are a league-best 15-3 in games that come down to the wire. He leads the Wizards (19-18) in almost every statistic in the clutch — defined as the final five minutes of a five-point game — from points (53) to field goal percentage (57.1%) to 3-pointers (12) to rebounds (21). In all of those categories, the 6-foot-10 forward ranks in the top 10 in the NBA, as of Tuesday afternoon.

His most recent late-game heroics came Monday in Washington’s 124-121 win against visiting Charlotte. Kuzma scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and went 4 of 5 from behind the arc. Three of his long balls came in the final three minutes of the game, including back-to-back shots to dampen the Hornets’ momentum. He even assisted on two 3-pointers in the quarter and made two late free throws.

“Just go out there and see what happens at the end of the day. It’s either going to be a make or a miss,” Kuzma said about his late-game mentality. “That’s just how my approach is, and that just kind of helps me ease tensions during those times in the game.”

The performance was Kuzma’s best as a Wizard. He finished the game with 36 points on 13-of-26 shooting, including 6 of 11 from long range, as well as 14 rebounds and six assists.

As one of several pieces who came to Washington in the Russell Westbrook trade, Kuzma is developing into the team’s No. 2 scorer behind Bradley Beal, who scored 35 in the win Monday. With point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and multiple other Wizards out the last three games due to COVID-19, Kuzma has stepped up, averaging 30 points and 12 rebounds in those contests.

“He’s definitely self-asserting himself and being super aggressive. He understands that he has an opportunity in front of him,” Beal said of Kuzma. “We need him to do that, we need him to be aggressive. He’s had success … but I still don’t think he understands what type of player he can be, the levels he can reach.”

Monday’s win was hardly the first time Kuzma came up clutch for the Wizards. He’s done it in several games this season, oftentimes with his 3-point shot. He’s third in the NBA in clutch 3-point attempts, behind only Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and ahead of Lakers star LeBron James. But Kuzma is by far the league leader in clutch 3s made with 12, as no other NBA player has more than eight as of Tuesday afternoon. Among the 16 players in the NBA with 15-plus clutch 3-point attempts, Kuzma is atop the list in percentage at 54.5%.

Arguably Kuzma’s most clutch performance this season was on Nov. 10 against Cleveland when he hit four 3s in the final six minutes, including the game-winner in the final seconds, to bring the Wizards back from down 10 for the 97-94 victory. Then, after the game, Kuzma fired back at Cavaliers fans who heckled him during the game, telling them: “Without LeBron, Cleveland wouldn’t be s—.” 

A month later, he nailed a corner 3-pointer with less than a second remaining to give the Wizards a 119-116 win over the Pistons in overtime. He led the team with 26 points, gave a Pistons fan the middle finger — which he was later fined $15,000 for — and waved goodbye to the fans after hitting his game-winner. 

While Kuzma has been the catalyst, it’s not just he who is stepping up late in games for Washington. As a team, the Wizards are now first in the NBA in clutch wins (15), winning percentage in clutch games (.833) and point differential (+46).

“I love it and I hate it at the same time,” Kuzma said about the team’s reliance on close wins. “I’d rather win by 15 and not have those types of opportunities because it’s a lot of stress, honestly. But at the same time, I do love it, because I feel like I’m built for those type of moments, just all the adversity that I’ve been through in my entire life.”

• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.

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