Washington Wizards (36-25) vs Golden State Warriors (47-14)
When: Wednesday , February 28, at 8 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena , Washington D.C. TV: ESPN / Radio: 1500 AM
Injury
Wizards: John Wall (Out, Knee)
Warriors: Patrick McCaw (Out, Wrist)
Notes -
The Wizards defeated the Bucks last night in Milwaukee to split the season series 2-2 and win their fifth-consecutive front end game of a back-to-back.
With eight assists, Bradley Beal set a career high for assists in a season as he reached 271 assists on the year.
Beal Most Assists by Season
2017-18 (61 g) 271
2016-17 (77 g) 267
2013-14 (73 g) 243
Washington forced Milwaukee into 17 turnovers in the game and is averaging the most forced turnovers per game in the league since Jan. 25.
Opponent Turnovers Per Game, Since Jan. 25
Washington 15.7
Atlanta 15.0
New Orleans 15.0
The Wizards return to action tonight as they host the Golden State Warriors.
Wizards -
107.4 - points per game
105.5 - points against
46.9 - Field goal %
Warriors -
116.2 - points per game
107.7 - points against
51.1 - field goal %
Keep an eye on:
Warriors Ball Movement/efficiency: It's no secret that Golden State brings one of the more potent offenses the league has seen and at the core of it's potency, is it''s ball movement. Warriors rank first in the NBA in assist (30.6), points (116.2), field goal (51%), three point (39%) and free throw (81%) percentage. Their unselfishness combined with their fire power makes them nearly impossible to stop. Draymond Green leads the team with 7.3 assist, followed by Steph Curry's 6.5 assist and Kevin Durant's 5.5 assist. Wizards will have to be locked in and on the same page defensively for the entire 48, any mental errors and you can pretty much count it as bucket.
Force turnovers: As deadly as Golden States offense is, they can get VERY sloppy with the ball. After building big leads, the Warriors usually allow opponents back in the game. Golden State ranks 29th in the NBA in turnovers at 15.8 a game. That's key for the Wizards if they are to walk out victorious. Washington is one of the more deadly transition teams in the NBA due to their passing and ability to shoot and finish at the rim. They score 16 percent of their points off opponents turnovers, which is 10th in the NBA. The Warriors are allowing 18.5 points off turnovers which is 26th in the NBA. Execution is a must for Washington on BOTH ends if they are to be in a position to walk out of Capital One with a win.
Continue Ball Movement.: Washington is 10-3 since Wall went down back on January 27th, and the main reason for that is their top notch ball movement. Washington ranks first in the NBA during this span in assist at 30.3 and sixth in offensive rating at 111.7. Simply the Wizards are carving up opponents by committee with pinpoint passing, and sharp cutting. This forces teams to have to pay attention to every player on the floor and helps Brad Beal and Otto Porter conserve energy until it's time to close. The Warriors are 10th in the NBA in defense so one on one ball won't work against them obviously, and plays into their hands. Make Golden State work on both ends and they will give you chances to win the game.
