PHILADELPHIA — Colby Jones knew he had enough time — and used all of it. The Washington Wizards guard received a pass with about three seconds left in the first quarter of Wednesday’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, pump-faked to let a defender soar by and let loose a three-pointer from the right wing.
The buzzer sounded with the ball in midair. Moments later, it splashed through the net. Jones ran another version of the same sequence at the end of the third quarter — another defender flew past him as he fired from the right corner, the ball rippling the net in concert with the buzzer. Jones’s threes were two among the Wizards’ 18 in a 119-114 win at Wells Fargo Center that snapped a five-game losing streak.
Quentin Grimes scored 22 points for Philadelphia (23-50). Alex Sarr scored 24 points as the Wizards improved to 16-56, exceeding their win total from last season but putting them a half-game behind the Utah Jazz (16-57) for the NBA’s worst record.
While the three worst teams secure the same odds to land the top four picks, the worst team can only drop as far as the fifth selection. The second-worst squad can drop to sixth, and the third-worst can fall to seventh. Both teams play at home Thursday — the Wizards face the Indiana Pacers, and the Jazz hosts the Houston Rockets.
Jones, a second-year guard acquired in the Marcus Smart deal ahead of the trade deadline, earned Coach Brian Keefe’s praise before Wednesday’s game for his “calmness.” As evidence, look no further than the pair of buzzer-beaters.
“That’s a great example,” Keefe said after the game. “… He understood time and score, what the clock was, he could actually pump-fake and still be able to get both those shots up. Pretty impressive.”
The 22-year-old had eight points, four rebounds, two assists and a block, making 3 of 7 shots from the field. Jones, who scored a career-high 24 points against Utah on March 19, is one of multiple Wizards on the roster fringe receiving extended playing time as the team navigates an extensive injury report.
Corey Kispert and Bilal Coulibaly are out for the season. Smart (right index finger) and Khris Middleton (ankles) did not dress because of injury management.
That meant nearly 28 minutes of playing time for Jones and more than 52 combined minutes for Jaylen Martin (12 points, six rebounds) and JT Thor (four points, four rebounds), forwards on two-way contracts. The trio, who often shared the court, are trying to use the dying gasps of this season to put themselves in the Wizards’ plans for next year.
“Not trying to do too much,” Jones said before the game. “I feel like that’s when you just get out of your comfort zone, trying to just prove your worth.”
Jones, who was drafted 34th in 2023, is in the second season of a four-year contract. His $2.2 million salary for next season is not guaranteed.
The Wizards can waive him before July and owe him nothing, per Spotrac. If they waive him before Jan. 10, they have to pay him about half of his salary. The fourth year of the deal is a team option.
Teammate Justin Champagnie could serve as inspiration. The Wizards signed the forward to a 10-day contract near the end of last season and retained him on a two-way spot. He played well enough during games in the Summer League, G League and NBA to earn a full-time NBA deal for the rest of this season.
Champagnie is also competing for a roster spot next year. His contract has no guaranteed money after this season, per Spotrac. The Wizards could pick him, Jones or other options in the summer, adding some intrigue to the final few weeks of the season.
“A lot of guys take the last 20 games off,” Champagnie said after the game. “… [I’m] just trying to take these last 10 games, put my best foot forward and go into the summertime with a body of work that gives me confidence to come back and build on it.”
Notes: Malcolm Brogdon worked out on the court before Wednesday’s game. Keefe said the guard is progressing but did not have a timetable for his return. …
Sarr exited Wednesday’s game with 18.4 seconds left after making a layup. He bumped into teammate Tristan Vukcevic upon landing and briefly appeared unable to put weight on his left ankle. He remained on the bench through the final buzzer and walked to the locker room without a noticeable limp. After the game, he said the ankle felt “pretty good.”
