(Photo: Joe Glorioso)
Regular Season Game 49
Wizards (26-22) at Hawks (14-34)
January 2, 27018 at 7:30 PM Phillips Arena | Atlanta, GA
TV: NBCSW Radio: 1500 AM
Odds: WSH -3.5
What to Watch:
Do Wizards Actually Have Killer Instinct?
Against Dallas, Charlotte, Utah, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee this season, the Washington Wizards have followed up a loss that ranged from embarrasing to underwhelming with another loss. As the unacceptable losses to sub-.500 teams mount, the Wizards cannot afford to allow the Hawks, a division rival, join the list after having already lost in Atlanta exactly a month ago to the day.
Key Matchup:
John Wall vs. Atlanta Nightlife
UPDATE: Wall was ruled out of Saturday night's game during morning shootaround by head coach Scott Brooks with left knee soreness that has cost him now 12 games this season. He is considered day-to-day, but will visit his Cleveland doctor that performed double knee surgery on him in May 2016 on Monday for a second opinion on the reoccuring issue.
Usually, I would think that John Wall and Bradley Beal have learned their lesson from Paul Pierce and other veterans through the years that they must treat road games as business trips and not as an open invitation to get lit the night before games. Wall and Beal are certainly charasmatic players that enjoy the party more than every once in a while, but one would hope that they would not do any drinking of alcohol less than 24 hours before an NBA game. On Friday night, Wall was a VIP of the Gold Room club along with Trouble, Young Dolph, and Fetty Wap. Hopefully he went in, made a brief appearance while sipping on soda, and got to bed by 11 p.m., but that is hard to imagine.
X-Factor:
Hawks' Fatigue
While John Wall was at the club, Atlanta was north in Charlotte where they lost to the Hornets by a final score of 121-110. The Hawks led 110-109 with three minutes to play, but subsequently gave up a 12-0 run to lose the game. Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince each played 31 minutes in the lost and scored 26 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the road team. Even though they probably slept in their own beds, flying home and getting to sleep around 1 or even 2 a.m. is not a great combination for NBA players.
Fun Factor:
Can Wall son Dennis Schroder more?
Prediction:
Washington will handle their business, make sure people do not panic as they have after many matchups with sub-.500 teams, and remain one of a handful NBA teams not to have a three-game losing streak this season.