The Washington Wizards seem to be suffering from an identity crisis in that they can play like a championship contender at one moment and look like a team unworthy of playing in the postseason the next. They hope the former shows up Saturday in Milwaukee to face the struggling Bucks. Milwaukee has lost a season-high four straight and six of its last seven overall, and the Bucks have dropped four straight to Washington.
The Wizards seemed to have found their footing when they built a 35-point lead Friday against Miami, but they barely held on for a 99-97 victory in which the Heat had two shots to win it in the waning seconds. "Something that seems like it's supposed to be a blowout becomes a nail-biter for us in the last three or four minutes of the ballgame," Washington forward Drew Gooden told reporters. "We've just got to find a way to be able to step on the team once we've got them down." After an 0-4 road trip, Milwaukee is happy to be back home, where the Bucks play considerably better.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSN Washington Plus, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (35-27): Washington continues to be one of the league's most perplexing teams because of its wild inconsistency. After shooting 52.8 percent in the first half against the Heat, the Wizards were just 10-for-29 in the second half, and they committed a whopping 15 turnovers after the break. Offensive catalyst John Wall had a quiet night, as well, managing only six points on 2-of-7 shooting, though he dished out 12 assists.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (32-29): Milwaukee has struggled since shaking up its roster ahead of the trading deadline. The Bucks miss having Brandon Knight as a go-to offensive player, and new point guard Michael Carter-Williams still is getting accustomed to his new team. In the meantime, Khris Middleton has helped pick up the slack, scoring in double figures in a career-best 14 consecutive games and averaging 16.8 points over that stretch.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Washington C Marcin Gortat has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a season-high seven straight games with five double-doubles during that stretch.
2. The Bucks are the only team in the NBA that has forced at least 10 turnovers in every game this season, and they lead the league with 17.25 opponent turnovers per contest.
3. Wizards F Kris Humphries has missed four straight games with a strained left groin and is questionable, while Bucks G O.J. Mayo is expected to miss his third straight game with a hamstring injury.