Wizards at Hawks
The Washington Wizards enjoyed a brief stint as a .500 team after a stretch of seven wins in nine games but have since dropped two straight. The Wizards are certainly not alone as a sub-.500 team in the Eastern Conference and will try to add another to that long list when they visit the 11-11 Atlanta Hawks on Friday. The Hawks are one of three teams, along with the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, in the East without a losing record.
Atlanta forward Kyle Korver knocked down a 3-pointer in a record 91st consecutive game on Tuesday but the Hawks fell for the sixth time in nine contests and failed to reach 95 points for the fifth time in that stretch. “I feel like we played hard, competed,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said after the 101-92 loss to Oklahoma City. “But we didn’t play real well, and I will take a competitive group, but I’d like them to play well also, too.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), SportSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (9-11): Washington has been on the wrong end of a pair of tight decisions in an overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Friday and a 75-74 setback to the Denver Nuggets on Monday that closed out a 2-2 homestand. The Wizards began that homestand with a 108-101 triumph over the Hawks behind 26 points and 12 assists from John Wall, who has continued to play well. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 23 points and 10.3 assists on the homestand and has put up 20 or more points in six of the last nine contests.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (11-11): Atlanta lived in that rare place above .500 in the East for a whole weekend before suffering the loss to the Thunder on Tuesday. The Hawks, who are closing out a four-game homestand with the Wizards, won the first two of that set behind big performances from Paul Millsap. The veteran forward put up a double-double in four of his last five games and is gaining more confidence from beyond the arc, knocking down 10-of-21 in the last five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards have taken two straight in the series after dropping six in a row.
2. Atlanta F Gustavo Ayon (ankle) is expected to miss the game and could be out Saturday as well.
3. Washington F Nene (Achilles) is questionable for Friday but F Martell Webster (ankle) returned to practice and is expected to go.