Bucks at Wizards
The Washington Wizards were proud of their defensive effort the last time they hit the floor, and they will try to sustain that vibe when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Wizards are coming off a 92-85 win over Denver that stands as their best performance on the defensive end this season, as they forced 29 turnovers and held the Nuggets to 33 points after halftime.
"The biggest thing for us was our defense," guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "I think we did a good job of getting stops and holding them at a few points. Our defense is what won us the game." Washington has not been stable on that end of the floor, however, and the Bucks are piling up the points of late, scoring at least 110 points in five of the last six games. Unfortunately, 110 was not enough as Milwaukee blew a 20-point halftime lead in a 114-110 loss to Atlanta at home Friday night. Jabari Parker recorded his second straight 27-point effort in the setback for the Bucks, who have played an NBA-low seven road games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (11-10): Parker and his fellow starters combined to shoot 40.7 percent against Atlanta while the bench finished at 57.1 percent, led by Michael Beasley's 6-of-7 effort. He also had six rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists in 23 productive minutes and is 14-for-17 from the floor over the last three games. Milwaukee, which has dropped four straight in the nation's capital, plays eight of its next 11 away from home.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (8-13): Beal hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range en route to 26 points against the Nuggets and he is shooting 53.1 percent from long range over a six-game hot stretch. John Wall followed up his career-high 52-point performance with just 15 but he still sports an average of 25.3 at home while shooting 47.2 percent, compared to 20.6 and 42.1 percent on the road. On the injury front, Washington will continue to wait out big man Ian Mahinmi (knee), who has played in just one game and was scheduled to get another MRI.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Washington won last season's four-game series 3-1 and averaged 113 points in its three victories.
2. The teams play a total of four times in 30 days, including a home-and-home set Dec. 23 and Dec. 26.
3. Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo tied a season low with one assist against Atlanta while matching his season high with six turnovers.