The Washington Wizards finally broke through as they snapped a brutal 14-game losing streak with a 132–113 win over the Atlanta Hawks in an NBA Cup game that meant nothing in the standings but everything for morale. The Wizards shot a scorching 57 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep, a burst of life fans hadn’t seen since their second game of the season against the Mavericks. But even in the victory, the Wizards absorbed a hard blow as Corey Kispert’s injury, a fractured thumb reported by ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, turned a long-awaited win into a sobering moment.
Corey Kispert played 24 strong minutes before the injury setback. He poured in 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting and drilled half of his threes. Moreover, he was sharp, aggressive, and was exactly what the Wizards needed after weeks of frustration. Then the news hit. A fracture to the tip of his right thumb. No timetable. Out indefinitely. Under the arena lights, the momentum of the night turned quiet.
A win that still feels heavy for the Wizards
The Wizards entered this game already eliminated from the NBA Cup. Beating the Hawks didn’t change their path, but it ended Atlanta’s hopes and gave Washington its cleanest performance since early October. The energy shifted the moment shots started falling. The ball moved. The crowd responded. For one night, the Wizards looked like a team that believed in itself again.
But Kispert’s injury brings the emotional swing back down. Washington’s losing streak began with a 139–113 beating from the Hornets, and every night since has felt like another layer of struggle. Kispert was one of the few reliable sparks in that stretch. Now he’s gone from the lineup at the exact moment things finally clicked.
So the Wizards celebrate the win. They take the breath. Then they ask the question everyone else is asking too: can they hold this energy without one of their best shooters?
