By Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd)
The Washington Wizards (14-60) are back at home on Easter Sunday to take on the Miami Heat (40-33) for the third game of a six-game home stand at Capital One Arena. Here is everything you need to know:
Where: Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
When: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Monumental Sports Network
Radio: Team 980 & The Wizards App
Injury Report:
WIZARDS:
Kyle Kuzma (right heel contusion – questionable)
Richaun Holmes (left big toe contusion – questionable)
Eugene Omoruyi (left ankle sprain – out)
Bilal Coulibaly (right wrist fracture – out)
Tyus Jones (lumbosacral sprain – out)
Landry Shamet (left calf strain – out)
Isaiah Livers (right hip join capsule inflammation – out)
HEAT:
Caleb Martin (right ankle discomfort – out)
Duncan Robinson (left facet syndrome – probable)
Nikola Jovic (right knee contusion –probable)
Tyler Herro ( right foot medial tendinitis – out)
Josh Richardson (right shoulder surgery – out)
KISPERT’S HOT STREAK
Corey Kispert led the Wizards with 23 points off 75% shooting from the field in Friday’s defeat. He went 5-of-7 from three-point range, extending his streak of hitting at least one triple in every game since February 4th vs. Phoenix – a torrid 24-game tear.
Moreover, Kispert was of critical importance the last time the Wizards faced the Heat. In an away contest in South Beach on March 10th, Kispert put up 22 points, five rebounds and six assists while shooting 53% from the floor. Washington came away with a nail-biting 110-108 victory with the game being decided on the very last possession.
The third-year wing has been a crucial piece of interim head coach Brian Keefe’s game plan of late, playing at least 30 minutes in each of the Wizards’ last six games. He’s also scored in double-figures in each of those contests.
THE DENISSANCE IS UPON US
Deni Avdija is having far and away the best season of his career thus far in D.C. March has been kind to the fourth-year forward, as he’s averaged 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 49% from the floor. His 17.5 ppg average is the second-best mark of any month this season, only edged out by February in which he put up 20.1 points per tilt.
Avdija led the Wizards with both 11 rebounds and nine assists in Friday’s loss to Detroit. Sunday will be an opportunity for the 23-year-old to notch his fourth-straight double-double and his 13th straight game scoring in double-figures.
Defensively, Avdija has also taken on some extremely tough assignments with rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a wrist fracture. Sunday’s contest will likely pit Avdija against Heat wing Jimmy Butler, which is sure to produce some fireworks on both ends of the floor.
TRAP GAME?
Wizards fans will hope the Heat will fall into the proverbial “trap game” on Easter Sunday given what the two squads have been through over the last few days.
The Heat are coming off a massive 60-point victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, good enough for the seventh-largest margin of victory in NBA history. Former Wizard center Thomas Bryant led Miami with a season-high 26 points in the win. Meanwhile, the Wizards have lost two straight since winning three in a row earlier this month, most recently dropping a 98-87 contest to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
With the Wizards hungry to get back into the win column, and Miami fresh off a statement victory of their own, the home side will try to take advantage of the trap game dynamic.