Wizards at 76ers
The Washington Wizards are trying to scratch their way back into the postseason picture in the Eastern Conference but are having trouble putting wins together. The Wizards will try to bounce back from another disappointing setback when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Washington had a chance to make up some ground on one of the teams they are chasing at the bottom of the East playoff bracket and could not find a way around a Chicago Bulls team that was missing Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler and had Pau Gasol dealing with an illness. The Wizards are 3-2 since the All-Star break but both of those losses have come on the road, where they have dropped three straight. The 76ers own the NBA’s worst record and dropped their last three by an average of 18.3 to extend the latest losing streak to six straight. “Whatever we were doing before the All-Star break we have to find that and play for each other and have fun in what coach (Brett Brown) calls the last part of the season,” Philadelphia point guard Ish Smith told reporters after a 111-91 loss at Detroit on Wednesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (26-30): Washington is 14th in the Eastern Conference in scoring defense (104.7 points) – ahead of only the 76ers – and the team is well aware of its deficiencies. “We scored enough points to win,” coach Randy Wittman told reporters after Wednesday’s loss. “We got 104 and had been averaging 102, which is above league average. We missed too many defensive assignments and gave up too many easy baskets.” The Wizards allowed an average of 111.5 points in their two losses since the break while holding opponents to an average of 88 in the three wins and signed forward J.J. Hickson on Thursday.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (8-49): Philadelphia has had a chance to influence the playoff picture in its four games since the break and is so far only helping other teams improve their standings. “I think that what we’re seeing is teams that are fighting for their lives to get into the playoffs and I look at their roster and they’re good,” Brown told reporters. “They have a hell of a team and I think that we’re getting “A” games. (The Pistons) hit us, and hit us hard at the start and we just dug ourselves far too deep of a hole on the road.” The 76ers will face teams fighting for playoff positioning in each of the next six games, including two against Washington.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards G Alan Anderson (ankle surgery) made his season debut on Wednesday and scored nine points in 16 minutes off the bench.
2. 76ers PG T.J. McConnell (ankle) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.
3. Washington has taken three straight in the series, including a 106-94 home win on Feb. 5.