Wizards head West for key stretch
January 24, 2015
Of the six teams that have reached the 30-win mark, the Atlanta Hawks are the lone Eastern Conference member in the club. The Washington Wizards hope to offer their Southeast Division mates some company as they open a four-game Western road swing in Saturday night’s most compelling NBA matchup, visiting the Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite the second-best record in the East, Washington can’t rest on its laurels. For one, the Hawks appear to be flying away with the Southeast and the East’s top seed. The Raptors, who the Wizards will see twice between now and the All-Star break, benefit from playing in the NBA’s weakest division. Chicago is nipping at Washington’s heels. The Cavaliers, winners of four straight, are also coming on strong.
Over the second-half of the season, the Wizards are going to have to play with a target on their back for the first time in a decade. Last year’s team was just 25-27 at the All-Star break. All the new hurdles they were able to clear came as pleasant surprises. They’re going to have to continue to improve under Randy Wittman as they chase their first 50-win season since 1979. The success they’ve had at Verizon Center (18-6) makes it imperative that they finish with a top-four seed and host a first-round series. If they find a way to make it two by holding on to No. 2, they would improve their chances of reaching their first conference finals since ’79.
Those dubious that they’ll be able to make a long-awaited breakthrough have plenty of ammunition. It’s disconcerting that John Wall has not only just one playoff series win under his belt, but only one winning season, period. The same can be said of Wittman, who despite this season’s success, still has a career winning percentage of under .400 as a head coach. It’s why Paul Pierce’s presence was so coveted this offseason. His penchant for making clutch shots takes a back seat to how invaluable his championship experience will be to this group.
The Wizards have to prove they can handle success. Luckily, their roster is no longer young. They know where the twists and turns on the rollercoaster ride are. Taking care of business in the few weeks before the All-Star break is what veteran teams prioritize, understanding that the younger, less-talented teams hit the wall around this time. Although they’re embarked on their only stretch of four road games in five nights this season, the fact the Wizards visit banged-up Denver on Sunday and the depleted Lakers on Tuesday offers hope they can pull of a winning record on the trip. The final leg of the journey, against fast-paced Phoenix on Wednesday, feels like scheduled loss. That makes this opening game against the LaMarcus Aldridge-less Trail Blazers a key game that may ultimately swing matters.
Oddsmakers favor Washington by four points, marking just the second time all season that Portland is a home underdog.
Of course, that’s because the Blazers come off a 90-89 home loss to lowly Boston and are 0-2 without Aldridge, who has been ruled out for 6-to-8 weeks after requiring surgery on an injured thumb. Disappointing former No. 5 pick Thomas Robinson, discarded by Sacramento, has moved into the starting lineup and will team with Nicolas Batum, Chris Kaman, Meyers Leonard and shooter Dorell Wright to anchor the frontcourt until the injured Robin Lopez returns to pitch in while Aldridge mends. With Oklahoma City coming into sight in the rear-view mirror, Portland has a heightened sense of urgency, especially since it has led both the Suns and Celtics deep into the fourth quarter in each of its last two losses. Another setback would be their sixth in seven games.
The Trail Blazers and Wizards split their 2013-14 meetings and are squaring off for the first time this season. Wall averaged 23 points and 10 assists in last year’s two games, the last of which didn’t feature Aldridge due to a back contusion. Portland won 116-103 at the Moda Center despite his absence last March, as Marcin Gortat strained his back on a pre-game dunk and was forced to sit.
This rematch has the feel of a springboard game for on a night where they’re the only teams with winning records squaring off.
Knicks at Hornets – 7:05 PM EST
For the first time since last April, the Knicks are on a three-game winning streak. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and Jason Smith had a season-high 19 to help hold off Orlando 113-106, but it remains to be seen whether New York will let Anthony play on the second night of a back-to-back for the first time since returning from a two-week absence due to a sore knee. Amar’e Stoudemire sat on Friday and should be available.
Charlotte trailed by as much as 49 points in Cleveland last night. The Cavs were up a franchise-best 75-40 at halftime. While horrible, it doubles as good news for this one since no one wound up playing more than 26 minutes. Al Jefferson hasn’t started since returning from a groin injury since head coach Steve Clifford wanted to keep a starting lineup that had been playing well together in place, but that may change following Friday’s debacle. The Hornets are 2-1 against the Knicks this season, winning 110-82 at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 10. They won their lone meeting at home, 103-102, on Dec. 5.
Pistons at Bucks – 7:35 PM EST
The Pistons begin a stretch of four games in five nights, all in different cities, after a few days off. Brandon Jennings had 28 points and a career-high 21 assists in Wednesday’s 128-118 win to pace Detroit’s highest-scoring output of the season. Andre Drummond is averaging 15.8 points and 16.5 rebounds over the last four games. Detroit played Milwaukee three times in November, winning only once.
The Bucks are on their first losing streak of 2015 after losing one-possession games against Toronto and Utah at home earlier this week to fall back to .500. Ersan Ilyasova is back in Jason Kidd’s starting lineup after returning from a bout with a concussion and have the fresher legs here. Because it traveled to London for the NBA’s most recent Global Games showcase, Milwaukee will be playing just its fifth game in 15 days.
76ers at Grizzlies – 8:05 PM EST
Despite being listed as game-time decisions, Nerlens Noel, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Henry Sims all played against Toronto, performing well to give the 76ers a chance in an eventual 91-86 loss. Robert Covington led the way with 18 points in a game Philly led well into the fourth quarter as a 13-point underdog. The 76ers led by as many as 18 points in nearly upsetting Memphis at home on Dec. 13, losing 120-115 in OT. Michael Carter-Williams came up with a triple-double (16-11-11) in a losing cause.
Mike Conley scored a career-high 36 points in the comeback win in Philly, sending the game to an extra period in on a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining. The Grizzlies have won five of six games to remain ahead of Dallas and Houston in the Southwest and have beaten fellow division leaders Portland and Toronto on their current homestand.
Nets at Jazz – 9:05 PM EST
Brooklyn wraps up a three-game Western swing in Salt Lake City after splitting with the Kings and Clippers. With Deron Williams still sidelined with fractured rib cartilage and Mirza Teletovic out for the season after being hospitalized in Sacramento with multiple blood clots, the Nets will be significantly short-handed. The team’s next five games will be against teams with winning records.
Derrick Favors is listed as questionable against the team that made him the No. 3 pick of the 2010 draft, having missed Thursday’s 101-99 win in Milwaukee due to a personal issue. 7-footers Enes Kanter and Rudy Gobert combined for 37 points and 26 rebounds. Rookie teenager Dante Exum made his second NBA start against the Bucks, scoring 15 points and dishing out five assists upon replacing a healthy Trey Burke in Quin Snyder’s lineup. Since he’s more of a scorer at this early stage of his career, a lot more offense is being run through small forward Gordon Hayward. The Jazz are looking to match their longest winning streak of the season (2), which they’ve only accomplished twice.
enver (-7); Under
