WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards (21-27) face off against the Spurs (27-22) on Sunday in San Antonio, having not won there since Dec. 11, 2009. But this current Wizards team has won five of its past seven, including a gutsy road win over the Magic Friday night.
Here’s what you need to know about Wizards at Spurs.
What to watch for:
1. Making it rain: Washington has heated up from three-point range recently, as Chase Hughes detailed on Saturday. Since Dec. 29, they are shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc, fifth-best in the NBA.
2. Staying alive: The Wizards are hanging around in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Washington entered the weekend two games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. If they keep this up, should they be buyers at the trade deadline to push for the postseason?
3. Opponent to watch: LaMarcus Aldridge. The veteran big man can still get buckets, averaging 20.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for the Spurs. He’s been dealing with a sore left wrist recently, but with the likes of Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris sidelined, Aldridge has a chance to stuff the stat sheet against Washington.
John Wall and his Family Foundation gave out Giant Food gift cards to furloughed employees affected by the government shutdown Friday:
How to watch:
Coverage begins on NBC Sports Washington at 6 p.m. Livestream it here.
Quote of the day:
“Our defense, overall, has just been better,” Jeff Green said earlier this week. “We’ve been communicating and not allowing teams to get a lot of offensive rebounds, forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. We’ve been on the same page defensively.”
Last time these teams met:
The Wizards beat the Spurs 116-106 on Mar. 27, 2018.
Stat to know:
15: Number of threes the Wizards knocked down in the win over Orlando. When Washington makes 15 or more threes, they are 18-6 all-time.
Listen to Wizards Talk, NBC Sports Washington’s Wizards podcast.
Related story: Where do the Wizards and Spurs stand in our NBA Power Rankings?
