Pistons at Wizards
The Washington Wizards are in a disturbing slide that is sabotaging
their chances of claiming one of the Eastern Conference's eight playoff
spots. Washington attempts to end a five-game losing streak on Monday
when it hosts the Detroit Pistons, the team currently in possession of
the final postseason berth.
The Wizards gave up an alarming 41 fourth-quarter points on Saturday to see an eight-point lead turn into a 116-100 defeat. "This leaves us in a really bad position," point guard John Wall said after the loss. "We just keep digging ourselves a bigger hole with 17 games left. We have to go a remarkable 15-2, basically." Detroit posted a 125-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday and stands one game ahead of the Chicago Bulls. "We're still in the No. 8 spot," point guard Reggie Jackson said of an effort that drew heavy criticism from coach Stan Van Gundy. "It's that simple. That's all that matters. We wanted to make sure we came in here and got a win."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Detroit, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (34-32): Van Gundy was highly disturbed with the defensive showing and ball-handling issues in the victory over Philadelphia that required his club to score 73 second-half points. "Look, we didn't play very well," Van Gundy said afterward. "Our turnovers were disastrous. We didn't guard very well again. That's what's going to get us. It's going to be tough to beat good teams. We couldn't keep the ball in front of us. Our closeouts were terrible. We play about eight minutes of defense a night. My experience is that's not going to be enough." Jackson had 24 points and 10 assists for his second straight double-double.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (30-35): Washington appeared to be on its way to ending its losing streak until it repeatedly broke down defensively in the final quarter and Denver was happy to take advantage. "We hit the wall in the fourth quarter," forward Otto Porter Jr. told reporters. "The game seemed to turn our way in the third quarter before we struggled. Shots were missed and we had some turnovers and we weren't as effective on the defensive end." Porter broke out of a slump with 23 points after averaging just 5.6 over the previous five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards are 2-0 against the Pistons this season, including a 98-86 home win on Feb. 19.
2. Washington SG Bradley Beal (pelvis) is questionable after missing the previous three games.
3. Detroit All-Star C Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds against the 76ers for his 19th double-double in the last 20 games.