The Wizards return home from a brief two-game road trip and will be greeted by the NBA-best Warriors. While Golden State was lounging around our nation’s capital, the Wizards were getting beat up by Oklahoma City, another Western Conference heavyweight.
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LOOK AHEAD
Basketball is just a game. Sometimes that fact gets lost in the course of a season when everything is about winning and losing. The Wizards, in particular Randy Wittman, got a reality check over the weekend. Washington’s coach left the team due to the passing of his older brother and assistant Don Newman will direct the club against the Warriors in Wittman’s absence. That kind of loss certainly puts things in perspective. An emotional Wittman was courtside Sunday, knowing that his brother passed away the day before, and the Wizards pulled out a 123-122 win at Houston. He showed no signs of wavering and even credited his brother for the win.
If there was a positive to the day for Wittman, it was knowing his players would do whatever it took to secure a victory, even in hostile territory. A win like the one the Wizards had Sunday not only snapped a three-game losing streak, but also showed character and that players aren’t willing to give up on a season that is still within their grasp. Sometimes a team just needs a little added motivation to overcome some obstacles. The unexpected passing of Rick Wittman might just supply that for the Wizards.
INJURIES
Warriors’ center Festus Ezeli is dealing with a knee injury sustained against San Antonio on Jan. 25 and has missed the last three games. It’s unknown at this time if he’ll be ready to play against the Wizards.
Forward Otto Porter aggravated his hip and back injuries during Sunday’s win at Houston and is questionable to play heading into this week. He returned to the lineup on Jan. 25 after missing the previous four games due to the hip problem.
KEY MATCHUP
Despite everything that’s gone wrong with the Wizards this season, John Wall has been magnificent. And it’s a shame that his All-Star level play is being wasted. Wall is currently third in the NBA in assists, averaging 9.8 per game. His assist percentage is 48.8 percent, which ranks fourth in the league, and is 7.6 percent above his career average. This is especially impressive considering Wall has been without Bradley Beal, the other half of what some call the best young duo in the NBA, for nearly half of the season. While he dishes out nearly 10 assists per game, he averages just less than 20 points a night at 19.5, with 4.2 rebounds. His consistency in scoring and assisting has earned him 25 double-doubles, second among all guards in the league. Wall is exceeding at nearly all levels of the game and it’s being overshadowed by the Wizards’ underachieving season. His talents were on full display Sunday scoring 19 points with 13 assists and eight rebounds.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
After battling Oklahoma City on Monday, the Wizards continue a brutal stretch against the West’s best with a home contest against the Warriors. Washington gets a break on Friday when the Sixers visit, but the Wiz could be a broken down bunch by then. Golden State continues its march toward history and it’s hard to believe this team has lost four games. A close game in Philly Saturday served as a wake-up call for the Dubs, who responded by drubbing the Knickerbockers Sunday. They now get two full days off before taking on the Wizards in the finale of a three-game trip. And like we’ve seen from Golden State last season and through the first half of this one, when a star doesn’t show up, there’s another ready to take over. Steph Curry managed just 13 points against New York, but Klay Thompson was there to pick up the slack with 34. The Wizards haven’t been the best defensive team this season – they give up 104.8 per game – and that’s not a good sign against the Warriors, who love to fill it up.
Golden State 118, Washington 104
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