Wizards 24-33 vs Warriors 29-29
When: Wednesday, April 21st, at 7p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
TV: NBCSWA, NBA League Pass / Radio: WFED 1500 AM
Injury
Wizards: Thomas Bryant (Out/ Left ACL Surgery), Rui Hachimura (Out/ Knee)
Warriors: Eric Paschall (Out/ Hip), Klay Thompson ( Out/ Achilles), Juan Toscano-Anderson (Day to day/Concussion), James Wiseman (Out/Knee)
Wizards -
114.0 - points per game
118.1 - points against
47.0 - Field Goal %
Warriors -
112.9 - points per game
113.3 - points against
46.6 - Field Goal %
Keep an eye on:
Battle of the Top Two Scorers: in the NBA tonight as Steph Curry (31.4 ppg/ 1st) comes to town with Brad Beal (31.1 ppg/2nd) waiting. Curry has been on an absolute terror lately, becoming the first player age 33 or older to score 30 or more points in 11 straight games, which includes a 49 performance in a win over Philadelphia Monday. Over the month of April, Curry is averaging 39.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists over the Warriors 10 games in the month. Oh and he's also hit 54 3-pointers over the last six games.
Beal has found his rhythm since returning back from a hip injury a couple weeks ago. In Washington's last two wins over Detroit and Oklahoma City, Beal is averaging 33.5 points on 58 percent shooting from the field and 70 percent shooting from deep.
Both guys come in to tonight's game historically hot, locked in at leading their respective teams to the playoffs and being the focal point of their teams offense. How each of these players perform tonight will dictate a LOT in who walks off the floor victorious. They know that and we know that. Who will rise to the occasion the most? That remains to be seen. Enjoy the show, it's sure to be one.
Washington's Reserve Centers: Robin Lopez and Daniel Gafford have been getting it done as of late. Lopez has become automatic with his post scoring, specifically with his jump hook. Teams are sending double teams to try to disrupt him due to his efficiency with that shot. Over Washington's five game winning streak, Lopez is averaging 10 points on a RIDICULOUS 81 percent shooting (22-27) from the field. If he gets the ball 10 feet or closer, it's going in and you can count on it being with a right hook.
Gafford has been even more impressive with his all around impact. He's averaging 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2 blocks on 67 percent shooting since joining the Wizards in late March, in that span when he plays, Washington is 7-1.
The Warriors play small a lot especially with rookie center James Wiseman being out due to injury. Look for Washington to exploit this advantage inside throughout the night in an attempt to make it six wins in a row.
Points In The Paint: has been a key adjustment that has propelled Washington to it's current five game winning streak. For much of the season, Washington looked to the 3-point line to be the focal point of the offense, after struggling in that department (28th in the NBA in 3P% at 34.5%), Washington has adjusted, focusing more on attacking the basket to score and letting that open things up from the outside. The result, Washington has averaged 63.2 points per game in the paint over their five game winning streak and elevated to third in the NBA in free throws attempted at 25.8 per game. Simply put, attacking the basket has put points on the scoreboard, helped them dictate the pace of the game, and forced teams to make adjustments they otherwise wouldn't have had to do due to foul trouble. The Warriors rank 17th in blocks at 4.8 per game so there is very little resistance at the basket. I'd say expect a heavy dose of strong drives to the cup tonight.
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