The Washington Wizards have won their first-ever NBA Cup game in franchise history, beating the Atlanta Hawks 132-113. No, this is not a typo. No, you do not need to get your reading glasses or put contacts in. This win came as a shock, as the Wiz Kids were undermanned heading into the game, with Marvin Bagley III, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson being sidelined with injuries or illness.
Then, the most unlikely of heroes stepped up in the first half, Corey Kispert. This was the second game Kispert started this season, and following his 20-point performance against the Chicago Bulls, this game should not have been a surprise. The veteran forward left the game early due to a thumb injury, but still finished with 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting from distance.
Corey Kispert (thumb) will not return tonight, per the Wizards broadcast.
Injured his thumb late in the third quarter.
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) November 26, 2025
The real hero, though, who powered this team to victory, was CJ McCollum. McCollum decided that he was going to go out there and make history tonight, as he is now tied as the franchise leader in three pointers made in a game with 10. The 34-year-old veteran finished his historic night with a whopping 46 points on 76.9 percent shooting from distance. McCollum also grabbed five rebounds and four assists.
Wizards guard CJ McCollum connected on his 10th three-pointer with his last make, tying Trevor Ariza (Feb. 12, 2014 at Houston) for the most threes in a single game in franchise history.#ForTheDistrict
— Wizards PR (@WizPRStats) November 26, 2025Wizards’ Offensive Outburst
It was not just these two players who made a difference, though; everyone was on fire tonight. Early in the first quarter, the Wizards saw themselves with a 30-point lead. The Hawks were able to cut that down to 13 at one point, but the young Wizards got the lead back to 20 points and never let it drop below a 15-point lead again for the entirety of the game. They were able to score 132 points against what was the league’s tenth-best defense heading into the matchup.
Second-Year Players Come Up Big
Another big-time player was Alex Sarr, who is only strengthening his chances of being named an All-Star this season. The second-year center was doing everything on both ends of the court. Offensively, Sarr finished with 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting and knocked down one of his threes. Then on the defensive end, Sarr was able to tally 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Alex Sarr vs ATL:
27 PTS
11 REB
2 STL
2 BLK
11-15 FG
+30 (!!)
His highest plus/minus ever in a game. pic.twitter.com/2nmg93Sreq
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 26, 2025
The final player, though, who may go unsung in this one was Bub Carrington. To say he has struggled this season is an understatement. Still, the Wizards faithful saw a glimpse of Carrington’s rookie season in the win. Coming off the bench, the second-year guard was able to score 10 points while shooting an efficient 4-of-6 from the field. What was also impressive was his six assists, though the three turnovers are not high. Still, this was a great sign that Carrington could find his groove again this season.
Other players also did their part in the win, like Khris Middleton, who had a double-double and nine assists in the first half of play. This was a total team effort, though, as the Wiz Kids needed this win to keep their chances of advancing to the NBA Cup knockout round alive. It may take some luck and another blowout win. Still, as the Wizards proved tonight with some historic performances, anything is possible.