Wizards at Hornets
The Washington Wizards had a four-game winning streak come to an end on a last-second tip Saturday and should be motivated to bounce back quickly when they visit the Southeast Division-rival Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Hornets are winners of three straight and can leap over the Wizards in the division with a win.
Washington battled back from a 16-point deficit to take a late lead at Detroit on Saturday, but Pistons forward Marcus Morris out-jumped twin brother and Wizards forward Markieff Morris on the final possession for the winning tip. "I should have blocked it," Markieff Morris told reporters. "Good shot. Tough loss for us but you bounce back. Charlotte Monday so you’ve just got to move on." The Hornets are pulling out of a funk that saw them drop six of seven and fall below .500 by turning up the intensity on both ends of the court. Charlotte outscored Portland, Toronto and Brooklyn by a combined 64 points in the last three games, already clinching a winning five-game homestand with Washington and Golden State coming in the last two.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (23-20): The first two games of Washington's three-game road trip were decided by a total of four points, and a few more shots falling from starting shooting guard Bradley Beal might have made things easier. Beal is in the midst of a three-game shooting slump that has seen him go 12-of-42 from the floor, including 1-of-21 from 3-point range. "He’s getting good looks," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters of Beal. "They’re not falling for him right now but I’ve been around Brad for four, five, six months now. He’s diligent in his work. He gets his shots in. He doesn’t change his routine."
ABOUT THE HORNETS (23-21): Charlotte allowed an average of 112.4 points during its 1-7 stretch but turned things around at the start of the homestand. The Hornets limited the Trail Blazers and Raptors to an average of 81.5 points in the first two games and did just enough on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday to limit the Nets to 42.7 percent from the floor in a 112-105 triumph. Charlotte placed seven scorers in double figures in Saturday's win, and small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added some offense to his normally stout defense with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Charlotte SG Jeremy Lamb (foot) sat out the last five games and is day-to-day.
2. Wizards PF Jason Smith scored a season-high 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench on Saturday.
3. The home team took the last six in the series, with Washington earning a 109-106 home win in the first meeting this season on Dec. 14.