76ers at Wizards
The Washington Wizards stand second in the Eastern Conference at the midway point of their regular season and look to continue their surge toward the top when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday afternoon. The Wizards have won six of their last eight games after a victory at Brooklyn on Saturday to remain five games behind East-leading Atlanta. Philadelphia, which dropped its first 17 contests this season, has split its last eight games after a 107-89 loss at Detroit on Saturday.
It will be the first clash this season for two of the league’s top young point guards as Michael Carter-Williams faces off against Washington’s John Wall. Carter-Williams, in his second season, has scored 21.5 per game over his last four outings while the 24-year-old Wall averages a double-double (17.1 points, 10 assists). The Wizards, who beat the 76ers in their last three meetings in 2013-14, boast 17 home victories – most in the conference.
TV: 2 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (8-32): Philadelphia is expected to be without leading scorer Tony Wroten (16.9) for the fourth consecutive game with a knee injury and Carter-Williams has taken over, raising his average to 15.5 points overall. Robert Covington shoots almost 40 percent from behind the 3-point arc and is the only other player averaging in double figures (12.4). Center Henry Sims notched his second double-double of the season Saturday and forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute averaged 12 points the last two games.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (28-13): Washington rebounded from a loss to struggling Brooklyn on Friday by defeating the same team with a solid effort 24 hours later. “We were dead (Friday),” Wizards guard Bradley Beal (14.9 points per game) told the Washington Post. “We had no energy. We had no focus. And we weren’t the Wizards. (Saturday) was how we play and how we are and how we should be.” Washington center Marcin Gortat (12.1 points, team-high 8.2 rebounds overall) is shooting 64.3 percent from the field over his last seven contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Washington F Paul Pierce, who scores 12.6 per game, needs seven 3-pointers to become the fourth player to reach 2,000 in his career.
2. Philadelphia C Nerlens Noel tops the team in rebounding (7.2) and leads all rookies in the league in steals (1.49) and blocks (1.62).
3. The Wizards are 23-1 when limiting opponents to fewer than 100 points.