Don’t look now but the Washington Wizards are on a roll

Hey, when you’re the Wizards and you’ve won three straight … well, that’s a roll. 

The latest example took place Saturday night, when Jordan Poole drilled a 35-footer to knock off the Nuggets in Denver. Poole was the savior but rookie Alex Sarr was the hero, scoring 34 points and showing signs of why Washington took him with the No. 2 overall pick.

Overall, the Wizards are starting to give their fans a reason to finally think, hey, maybe this organization is on to something. Granted, there’s a long way to go, and this is season is all about the NBA Draft lottery — but this recent stretch has been kind of fun.

President of basketball operations Michael Winger is a former front-office exec with the Cavaliers, so he’s experienced at least some success. He has also seen how to build.

Anyway, Sarr had never scored more than 22 points in a game before Saturday. Poole finished with 19 points, hitting 7-of-11 shots in his own strong performance.

Despite Nikola Jokic‘s remarkable 40-point, 13-rebound, and 9-assist effort — which would have been the headline on most nights — the Wizards were able to close out the win. 

The Wizards, with a 15-51 record, still sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. That said, their win over the Nuggets moves them a half-game ahead of the Jazz for the league’s worst record. Before Feb. 24, the team was mired at 9-47, on pace for one of the worst seasons in NBA history.

Basically, the win streak doesn’t signal an immediate turnaround — but it does offer a glimmer of hope. In Washington, where progress is often hard to come by, that’s a step in the right direction.