Bilal Coulibaly gives key to excelling amid injury after 21-point game against Raptors

WASHINGTON, DC — Perfection is usually impossible, but Washington Wizards were close to perfection in their 138-117 home win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday. That’s partly because of the third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly had his best game of the season coming back from a sprained ankle on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old opened after the game about how it remains resilient despite injury problems.

“Just practice, you know. Go to the gym, do your thing,” he said. “Act like you’re not hurt, that’s what I was doing…”

Coulibaly certainly acted like he wasn’t hurt against the Raptorsas he scored a career-high 21 points (8-14 FG, 1-4 3-point) with eight rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes. The seventh pick in 2023 also had one block and one assist.

Friday’s performance was a triumphant moment for Koulibaly after several injuries. Rising Star Double Season 2024-25. it ended in March with a wrist ailment, and then he missed the start of this season after tearing a ligament in his right thumb while playing for the French national team in September at the Eurobasket. He then missed time with a sprained calf in November and a right oblique strain in December before his recent sprained ankle.

Koulibaly has missed 14 of Washington’s 29 games this season after missing 23 last season and 19 the year before that. However, the game in Toronto was a reminder of what he and the “Wiz Kids” are capable of when healthy.

The Wizards played one of their best games on both sides of the ball in years, but especially offensively. Their 138 points were theirs the most in the game since their 138-118 win over the Orlando Magic on January 21, 2023 according to ESPN Insights. Coulibaly explained how they did it.

“I think it was a team effort. Just sharing the ball, finding guys in the right spaces at the right time,” he said. “It makes the game easier when we play like that.”

That effort showed in the box score, as three Washington players (Koulibaly, Kyshawn George and CJ McCollum) scored 20-plus points for the first time since April 13, 2025. Second-year center Alex Sarr and second-year guard Bob Carrington each added 15 points.

That’s what head coach Brian Keefe was talking about whether their success either by creating open looks or simply hitting their shots.

“It’s always a bit of a mix. I like our process for the most part, whether we missed shots or not, the process was right,” he explained.
“We’re sharing it, we’ve been moving it. We’re hitting the open man. Sometimes the shots are going. That’s great, but the process is the most important thing for us. We’ve been making the right play over and over again … we’ve been making the simple play, making the right read, and the shots are a confidence booster…”

The Wizards also outscored the Raptors by 15 on the defensive glass and held the second team to 33.3 percent shooting from deep. Combine that with Washington’s 59.3 percent clip (45.5 percent on 3-pointers) and it’s clear why Toronto has never had a three-point lead.

On top of that, the Wizards kept Raptors star forward Scotty Barnes in check. The former NBA All-Star and Rookie of the Year, who is averaging 19.2 points on 50.2% shooting, scored 14 points (6-14 FG, 0-2 3-point) in 29 minutes.

“I think we did that as a group, you know, we tried to show him bodies, obviously a super talented player,” Keefe said. “Don’t stop those guys, just try to make his life as difficult as you can. We tried to be compact with our shell and take care of the color. Obviously, it was evident in the numbers, but those guys were full.”

It’s unusual for Washington, which owns the second-worst record in the NBA (6-23), to dominate a playoff-caliber team like Toronto (18-14). However, it shows that the organization is making progress in rebuilding.

Keeshon George shows leadership

Another of the many positives for Washington on Friday night was George’s individual performance. The sophomore wing scored a record 23 points (9-13 FG, 3-5 3-point) with six rebounds, three assists and one block in 28 minutes.

George talked about what after the game helped him produce after scoring just two points (1-9 FG, 0-1 3-point) in 31 minutes in the Wizards’ 126-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

Keyshawn George on his team-high 23-point game (streak):

“I didn’t force any shots, I thought. I took advantage of the low post matchups. I hit 3s from the open corner. But I think the mindset was to be aggressive and lead my team. Come back after the Charlotte game . . .” pic.twitter.com/NELcfcAu1D

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) December 27, 2025

“I didn’t force any shots, I thought. I took advantage of the low post matches,” said the 22-year-old. “I hit threes from the open corner. But I think the mindset was to be aggressive and lead my team. Come back after the Charlotte game . . .”

George is no stranger to taking control on offense. The former Miami Hurricane scored 28 points (10-16 FG, 3-7 3-point) with seven assists in 39 minutes in Washington’s 130-122 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 20, and scored a career-high 34 points (11-15 in his 13-17, 7 pts) against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 24. He now has seven 20-plus point games this season, and it’s even more impressive that he had one directly after one of his worst games of the year. It shows resilience.

George also sang Coulibaly’s praises.

“He was in a difficult position with a couple of injuries at the start of the season but it’s really great that he’s back,” he said. “I always knew he was capable of doing what he did today and more. He stays true to his work and mindset, and he just came back ready to play.”

That point of consistency is key to the Wizards moving forward. They are 3-3 in their last six games after starting 3-20, so the painful rebuilding process is paying off. Winning isn’t the top priority for an organization trying to maximize their lottery odds, but they must continue to play competitive ball.

Next up for Washington is a home game against Memphis on Sunday, followed by another home game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.