Regular Season Game 44

Bucks (22-20) at Wizards (25-18)

January 15, 2018 at 2:00 PM Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C.

TV: NBCSW Radio: 1500 AM

Odds: WSH -5

What to Watch:

Finishing Strong

Over the course of this season, the Washington Wizards have been a much better first half team than second half team. Scott Brooks believes that his team relaxes at times once having built a lead and that got the Wizards in trouble in the last matchup with the Bucks. Late in the first quarter, Washington had a 31-20 lead, but that was eventually squandered as they eventually lost the fourth quarter 28-18. Stagnant offense in the fourth quarter has been a repeated trend lately and if the Wizards want any chance to win, that will have to change.

Key Matchup:

Giannis vs. Washington's Forwards

Otto Porter Jr. will be back for this matchup after missing the previous meeting with a hip injury, which will allow Scott Brooks one more option to throw at the Greek Freak that he did not have before. The 23-year old is averaging 28.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks a game. The key for the Wizards will be limiting his attacks on the rim and making him a jump shooter. At the rim, Antetokounmpo is shooting 76.5 percent, but he is only shooting 35.3 percent from three feet or further from the rim including an abysmal 27.4 percent from beyond the arc.

X-Factor:

Who is playoff ready?

Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson noted on Saturday before Washington beat his team that the Wizards are a squad that they are a playoff ready team. After the last Bucks game, many in the Wizards locker room described the matchup as playoff intensity. Beal expanded on that idea on Saturday night. Whoever brings the postseason intensity more will probably leave Capital One Arena as the victors.

"It’s going to be a physical game," Beal explained. "It’s going to be a playoff type game, it’s pretty plain and simple. They’re a team that plays hard. They are playing well right now too. We need to take advantage of it, take advantage of our home court, treat it as it is a playoff game."

Fun Factor:

Dirty Delly

You know what happened, Matthew Dellavadova grabbed Bradley Beal high around the shoulder and neck area to stop him on the fast break and Washington, rightfully, took exception to that. Although Beal did not make a big deal about the rematch with the backup guard after the Brooklyn win, it is human nature to keep the recent transgressions in the mind's forefront.

"There's no place in the game for that," Beal said. "It's the difference between making a play on the ball and wrapping your arms around somebody's neck."

"It should never happen. Those plays should never happen," Brooks said. "It's a professional respect that you want to play with."

"I feel like he's a dirty player," Wall said. "Whatever they're team and people say and other people can vouch for him, to me I always thought he was a dirty player."

Prediction:

With Milwaukee playing the second leg of a back-to-back and Washington wanting to exact a bit of revenge, the Wizards will come out on top ahead of a five game road trip.