Wizards Debut Stunner: Anthony Davis Drops 34 in Opener

Anthony Davis needed just one night to show Washington what it had waited since February to see. The ten-time All-Star scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his long-awaited Wizards debut, carrying the Wizards to a 128–116 comeback win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Wednesday's season opener at Capital One Arena.

Davis finished 11 of 20 from the field and made all but three of his 14 free-throw attempts, adding four assists, two steals and a block, per the official box score. Trae Young paired twenty points with 13 assists in his first full game alongside Davis. Washington missed 18 of its first 22 three-point attempts and trailed for most of the night before Davis took over in the third quarter to keep the Wizards within reach.

An early fourth-quarter dunk by Deandre Ayton gave Washington a 97-96 lead, and the Wizards ripped off a 21-4 run to move ahead 111-98 with 7:26 remaining, according to the Associated Press. Washington shot 63 percent after halftime and outscored Milwaukee 77-60 in the second half. A full account of the night is available in the AP's game report, with the complete box score at theScore.

Washington did it without No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who sat out with a sprained ankle. Young, who joined the Wizards last season but had not yet shared the floor with Davis, looked comfortable running the offense through the big man from the opening tip. The supporting cast filled the gaps around the two stars: Kyshawn George scored eighteen points, Bilal Coulibaly harassed Milwaukee's guards on the perimeter, and Deandre Ayton's energy off the bench swung the fourth quarter. Washington also dominated inside, scoring 70 points in the paint and going 32 of 41 at the foul line. Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington added minutes off the bench as the rotation tightened after halftime.

A long wait ends

Washington acquired Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player trade in February, but he was injured at the time and did not suit up for the Wizards last season. The February deal brought Davis to Washington while he recovered, and the team held him out for the rest of the season. Wednesday marked his first regular-season appearance since Jan. 8, and Davis said he had "so much fun," adding that there was "a lot of emotion, a lot of energy." Fans broke into "MVP" chants before the first quarter was even over, and the chant returned each time he stepped to the free-throw line.

Davis added that some of the team's longer-tenured players told him they had not seen a home crowd like that in a while. Young said he wants to help Davis "get the MVP," noting that more nights like Wednesday and continued wins would put Davis "in the conversation." Washington won 50 games total across the past three seasons, so a night like this one gave the home crowd something it has rarely had.

For a franchise that has spent years near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the evening offered the first look at the plan: a new star alongside a top draft pick and a young core. The Wizards get a day off before Friday's home date with Toronto.

Milwaukee's new era

Milwaukee looked nothing like last season's team. The Bucks traded franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami in the offseason, and the two headliners from that deal, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr., combined for 46 points to lead Milwaukee. It was also the coaching debut for Taylor Jenkins, previously of the Memphis Grizzlies. Milwaukee kept itself in the game from deep, making 15 threes to Washington's 6, but the Wizards' second-half defense closed the door. As the Associated Press noted, it was the opener for two teams that appear headed in opposite directions.

What comes next

The Bucks host the Chicago Bulls on Friday. The Wizards stay home the same night to face the Toronto Raptors, who opened their season with that record rout, and an early home test awaits the new star pairing.

Around the sports world, Kawhi Leonard's return sparked a record opening-night rout in Toronto, while in the Champions League, Como thrashed Manchester United 4-1.