Washington Wizards (40-32) vs New York Knicks (26-47)
When: Sunday , March 25, at 6 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena , Washington D.C. TV: NBATV / Radio: 1500 AM
Injury
Wizards: John Wall (Out, Knee)
Knicks: Ron Baker (Out, Shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (Out, Knee), Joakim Noah (Out, Personal/ Team Agreement), Lance Thomas (Expected to play/ Personal)
Notes -
The Wizards host the New York Knicks tonight as they look to sweep the three-game season series.
Washington has won 15 of the last 16 games against the Knicks dating back to the 2013-14 season, including a 4-0 sweep last season and the first two this season.
The 15-1 mark by Washington is their best winning percentage against any Eastern Conference team over the last four seasons.
Washington is looking to win five consecutive home games in the series for the first time since winning six straight from 1986-88.
John Wall participated in a full contact practice for the first time since injuring his left knee January 31st yesterday. While it's no official word on when he will return, it's clear he will be back soon.
Wizards Magic Number: 2
Wizards -
107.2 - points per game
106.0 - points against
46.8 - Field goal %
Knicks -
104.3 - points per game
107.7 - points against
46.4 - field goal %
Keep an eye on:
Wizards Bench Play: A strength for Washington for the majority of the season has now become inconsistent in recent games. In a loss to the Nuggets, the bench accounted for 28 of Washington's 100 points, yet key reserves Mike Scott (8.5 ppg) and Jodie Meeks (6.3 ppg) went scoreless. This on one end shows how deadly Washington's bench can be, however it also shows how inconsistent it has been. When the Wizards win, the bench scores between 40-50 points, bringing an x-factor to the equation most teams struggle to deal with. On the season, Washington's bench average 47.4 points a game and this is without including Tomas Satoransky who has been a starter for 24 games and counting. If the Wizards bench do what they're capable of doing, Washington should cruise to a victory this evening.
Tim Hardaway Jr/Trey Burke: While New York is in full roster evaluation mode as draft time approaches, certain Knicks players are still competing and showing their value. Tim Hardaway who has had his fair share of success against Washington this season is coming off a 39 point performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a career high. Hardaway Jr, who is dangerous when he get's going, is averaging 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assist per game. A player who can score from all three levels and isn't afraid to let it fly. Former Wizards Trey Burke will surely be motivated to show his old team that they made a mistake. Burke in 27 games with the Knicks since being called up from the G-League is posting 10.9 points and 3.7 assist on 51 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from deep. He's scoring and he's doing it efficiently. Coming off the loss to the Nuggets Friday night where shooting guards Jamal Murray and Will Barton combined for 48 points, Washington guards need to come out with a sense of urgency on the defensive end from the start or it can be an uphill battle all night.
Keep NY Off The Line:New York despite their offensive woes due to a number of reasons, remain an adequate free throw shooting team. The Knicks are eighth in the NBA in free throw percentage at 78 percent, which means the Wizards will have to defend without fouling which has been a problem in this late season slide.
