(Photo: Washington Wizards)
Regular Season Game 11
Lakers (5-6) at Wizards (5-5)
November 9, 2017 at 7 PM Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C. TV: NBCSW Radio: 1500 AM
Odds: WSH -10.5
What to Watch: Bradley Beal
This past weekend, Celtics legend and former Wizard, Paul Pierce, voiced to the Wizards Tipoff Podcast that Bradley Beal was the “Top Two-Guard in All of the East”. That’s a pretty big statement about a player that has never been an All-Star. So, is The Truth speaking the truth? Well, the numbers back him up. Through 10 games thus far this season Beal is averaging a career best 25.4 points per game which leads all shooting guards in the league, excluding James Harden who is considered as a point guard by ESPN. When healthy and locked in, Beal can be a handful to deal with. Look for Beal, who missed the potential game winning jump shot when these two teams met back in October, to dominate this game and build on his 2017 breakout season story line.
(Photo: Bradley Beal)
Key Matchup:
Battle Down Low
The matchup between Brook Lopez and Marcin Gortat will be a fun one to keep a close eye on Thursday night. Lopez, a former All-Star, is one of the best offensive centers in the league. The 29-year-old has been a beast this year and is dominating the majority of his match ups. On the other side of the story, the 33-year-old “Polish Machine” has built a reputation on his toughness and physical presence down low. If Gortat is able to contain Lopez from controlling the paint, the Wizards should have an easier path to victory.
(Photo: Matt Masin, Orange County Register)
X-Factor:
Keef's Presence
These two teams went head to head in Los Angeles last month. The result? The Wizards lost a close one in overtime after failing to hold on to a 10-point lead with 7:08 left in the fourth quarter. One major difference? Wizards forward Markieff Morris sat out all 53 minutes as he was still recovering from his sports hernia surgery.
Although he still is not in mid-season form, this is Keef’s fourth game back from the injury and he has looked more and more like himself each game. Look for Morris to have his best game of the young season against the Lakers on Thursday night.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports/Brad Mills)
Fun Factor:
Wall Gets Second Shot At Ball
After failing to show Lonzo Ball “no mercy” as he promised prior to their first matchup, John Wall was heavily criticized by NBA analysts for not backing up all the trash talk. During that game Wall struggled from the floor, shooting 7-22, but what made things worse was the 3-0 Wizards were unable to secure the victory against a team led by a bunch of teenagers. Despite the Wizard’s recent struggle with playing down to the level of competition which have led to disappointing losses against the Lakers, the Suns, and the Mavs – look for Wall to come out aggressive, looking for revenge (Drake voice).
(Photo: ESPN)
Prediction:
The Lakers handed the Wizards their first loss of the season a little over two weeks ago live on ESPN. Despite dominating for most of the game, the Wizard’s lack of focus towards the end of the fourth quarter gave the young Laker team an opportunity to pull a comeback victory, which they capitalized on. The Wizards are at home this time, and although Laker fans typically roll deep, look for the team to take control of the game early and hold on to it through all four quarters at home.