Regular Season Game 24
Wizards (12-11) at Trail Blazers (13-10)
December 5, 2017 at 10:00 PM Moda Center| Portland, OR TV: NBATV, NBCSW Radio: 1500 AM
What to Watch: Bouncing Back
Washington should have their legs under them despite traveling between two cities in a 24-hour span as no player saw more than 28 minutes of court time on Monday night in Utah because of the blowout. Scott Brooks could have and possibly should have took his starters and key rotation players out even earlier, but with only 12 players available, that was not easily possible. Regardless, the Wizards have split each of their two previous back-to-backs this season and will hope to do so for the third time on Tuesday.
Key Matchup:
Bradley Beal vs. C.J. McCollum
Almost two weeks ago in D.C. when Portland came to town, each shooting guard scored 26 points for their team. Beal had his on 10 of 24 shooting to go along with seven assists, while McCollum had his on 11 of 20 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, but five fouls and turnovers. McCollum got the last laugh as he dropped 13 points in the fourth quarter as the home team blew a 17-point lead with eight minutes to play. Again without John Wall, Beal has to definitively win this matchup for Washington have a shot.
X-Factor:
What Bench Do We See?
After 157 points from the bench over the previous three games (at MIN, at PHI, and vs. DET), the second unit had just 28 points in Utah on Monday despite ample time on the court. Taking away a four-time All-Star has certainly put a burden on the starters as defenses can more easily lock down Beal and Otto Porter Jr. If Tomas Satoransky is able to lead the second unit the way he did prior to the Jazz game, the Wizards will be able to either extend the lead or close deficits.
Fun Factor:
Things Cannot Go Any Worse
The Jazz humiliated the Wizards in every sense of the word. Washington suffered their second worst loss in team history with their 47 point drubbing, shot the ball miserably, showed little resistance on defense, and simply a lack of will. If it can serve as a wake up call, great, but there is certainly next to no chance they play as poorly against the Blazers.
Prediction:
Washington loses another game without Wall and again fall to .500 on the season.