Knicks at Wizards
The Washington Wizards have turned their fortunes with three straight wins and are charging toward a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks, who visit the Wizards on Saturday, are not in the postseason fight in the East but could pull off a split of a six-game road trip with a victory in Washington.
Consistency has been a problem all season for the Wizards, who have followed a five-game slide with a solid winning streak that includes wins over the two teams they are chasing for the No. 8 spot in the East – Detroit and Chicago. Washington nearly stumbled at lowly Philadelphia on Thursday but escaped with a 99-94 win as All-Star point guard John Wall posted his second straight triple-double. “We understand that we didn’t play as well as we wanted to,” Wizards guard Garrett Temple told the Washington Post. “But I wouldn’t say it’s a step back because we came in here to get a win and we got a win.” The Knicks are in prime position to play spoiler with the game against Washington and a pair against the Bulls coming up within the next week
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (28-41): New York won at Phoenix and at the Los Angeles Lakers already on the trip but finished up the West Coast portion by getting blasted 121-85 by the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. “It was a tough loss to take on the chin, the way we lost,” All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony told reporters. “I just felt like at times we didn’t even try to compete out there. Even though they shot extremely well and everybody was involved in the game on their behalf, sometimes it felt like we weren’t even competing out there at times.” Anthony managed 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the loss while the rest of the Knicks’ starters totaled 10 points on 5-of-27 from the field.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (33-35): Wall clinched his second straight triple-double with eight free throws in the final 15 seconds on Thursday as Washington avoided blowing a 24-point, second-half lead. “These are lessons that need to be learned,” head coach Randy Wittman told reporters. “I never apologize for a win, and I won’t give it back, but until we understand in this league that no game is safe at halftime we’re going to have the inconsistencies that we’ve had this year.” Wall went 4-of-17 from the floor and committed nine turnovers but came through down the stretch and finished with 16 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks rookie F Kristaps Porzingis went 1-of-11 from the floor on Wednesday and is shooting 30.1 percent in six games this month.
2. Wizards G Bradley Beal (pelvis) sat out four of the last six games and is day-to-day.
3. Anthony poured in 37 points in New York’s 117-110 win at Washington on Oct. 31.