Wizards’ new era begins: Anthony Davis dominates; D.C. crowd roars

Anthony Davis was in one of those grooves.

You know the kind. He had that feeling like no defender could contain him. That sense that the basket is wide and every shot will find the bottom of the net.

On Wednesday night, in Washington’s home and season opener, his physical gifts overrode even the most stringent defenses as he discarded Milwaukee Bucks players, and the Wizards needed it in their 128-116 victory.

The Bucks had built an eight-point lead in the third quarter, and the Wizards were teetering. That’s when Davis began asserting himself.

The Bucks didn’t have a player who could handle him. Davis’ superb play brought the fans back in the game, and after he was fouled on a midrange jumper, the 10-time All-Star unleashed a roar to his new home crowd.

With his team’s lead cut to one, Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout. The fervor at Capital One Arena had already reached its peak after Davis’ jumper, but he wanted more. He wanted the energy. The adulation. Davis’ dominance offered a glimpse of what Capital One Arena might be in the future if the resurgent Wizards can keep this up.

“It’s one of the first times I’ve seen D.C. like that,” Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly told The Banner. “I hope it will last the whole year, man. I’m really excited.”

Davis, who finished with a team-best 34 points and 12 rebounds, hadn’t played in a regular-season game since Jan. 8 with the Dallas Mavericks. Team scrimmages and preseason games can’t simulate the adrenaline that comes from a regular-season contest, especially one of the most anticipated home openers in some time for the Wizards.

As both teams ambled to their benches, Davis wasn’t done. He grabbed his jersey while stationed on the baseline and said “I’m here,” to the fans before bumping chests with AJ Dybantsa, the heralded rookie who missed the game with a sprained ankle. When play resumed and Davis stood at the free-throw line, fans serenaded him with an “MVP!” chant. The stellar play didn’t surprise Trae Young.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but like for me, having a guy like that, I wanna help him get the MVP,” said Young, who scored 20 points and dished out 13 assists. “Nights like tonight, and we continue to win games ... he’s gonna be in the conversation, so I’m not surprised by the way he played.

Davis said Bub Carrington challenged him after the Wizards came out flat to begin the half. Carrington, a Baltimore native, told the future Hall of Famer, “You have one more gear; can I see it?” Davis obliged, and the emotion was palpable through his play.

“It’s been nine months since I played a real game, so it felt really good to be out on the floor competing again with these guys, even better when we can get the win,” Davis said. “Had so much fun tonight and a lot of emotion, a lot of energy.

Davis — an NBA champion and 10-time All-Star — has nothing left to prove, to himself or the basketball world. But Wednesday’s season opener was a reintroduction to those who needed a refresher. He’s not the explosive leaper of his youth, but Davis still possesses otherworldly gifts that make him a handful to guard.

Davis came to Washington knowing the reputation of the downtrodden franchise, and he wants to help turn the vibes around — even as he finishes out the final guaranteed season of his three-year, $175.4 million contract.

That helps explain why he wasn’t satisfied with the win; he emphasized the need to improve after the Wizards won despite blown defensive assignments and sloppy turnovers.

“We got to continuously get better,” Davis said. “Go through practice, probably look at some film and find ways we can get better and carry it into Friday’s game.”

Wednesday was also a reminder that this new, talented group wouldn’t jell instantly. For every encouraging moment — such as Davis throwing a pinpoint lob to Alex Sarr in the first quarter or the Carrington spurt that kept the score close to end the first half — there were reminders that the camaraderie is a work in progress. Incessant fouling and slow rotations mixed with drives to the basket without a plan. Davis scored 18 third-quarter points, but the game was a toss-up because the Wizards struggled defending the 3-point line.

But the fans care again; their verve was proof of that. The young players’ development is still the main focus, but Davis’ performance was a reminder of why he and Young are on the roster: to supplement the new talent with their own brilliance.

Kyshawn George (18 points) overcame foul trouble and provided some nice fourth-quarter moments, a physical drive that ended in a dunk and a step-back jumper in crunch time. Coulibaly provided 11 points and suffocating defense (four steals and two blocks).

Then, in the fourth quarter, Washington wrested control from the Bucks with a 14-0 run. Davis usually reenters the game around the 7:30 mark, but given that the group on the floor — Deandre Ayton, Tre Johnson, Justin Champagnie, Young and George — was in a groove, he wanted the players to ride that momentum, not quell it.

“They were playing very well, and when you got a group that’s playing very well, creating separation in the league, you don’t want to mess it up by going [out] there,” Davis said. “You don’t want to be selfish, so I was hyping them up, man. It was fun to see.”

Fans rose to their feet as the Wizards put the finishing touches on their first win, and it was fitting that the final rebounded found Davis’ hands.

“That’s top 75 right there,” Coulibaly said, referring to Davis’ place on the list of the game’s all-time greats. “Ain’t much else to say.”

This article has been updated.