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GAME INFO
Capital One Arena | 7 p.m. | TV: NBCSW | Radio: The Team 980 & Wizards App
The Wizards host the Hornets on Monday night at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena, looking to build off a comeback win on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd. Washington enters the game at 11-5 and tied for second in the Eastern Conference.
INJURY REPORT
WIZARDS: Davis Bertans (left ankle sprain – out), Thomas Bryant (left ACL injury recovery – out), Rui Hachimura (not with team – out)
HORNETS: P.J. Washington (left elbow hyperextension – doubtful)
STORYLINES
Comeback Wiz
The Wizards are coming off a win over the Heat on Saturday night in which they erased a 16-point second-half deficit to come back and win by three. Washington has overcome double-digit deficits and gone on to win in three of its last six games, including 16- and 19-point comebacks in the last week. It marks the first time since the 1997-98 season that Washington has mounted a pair of comebacks of at least 16 points this early in a season.
“We don’t ever want to get down double-digits, certainly in the second half, but the ability to pull together and gut those wins out – those are character-building,” Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said after practice on Sunday. “We have to learn from some of those things and try to avoid some of those stretches where we fall into those deficits, but the fact that we are able to climb out, take a lead late and hold on to a lead is really good for a team that is still trying to figure each other out.”
Wizards look to stay in rhythm from three
Washington was doomed by an 8-42 (.190) 3-point shooting performance in Charlotte last week, stagnating an otherwise productive offensive showing. Beal accounted for five of the Wizards’ eight makes from deep that night and scored a team-high 24 points. Since then, however, Washington has gotten back on track from beyond the arc, shooting a combined 26-66 (.393) in their last two games. The Wizards’ ability to knock down shots late in the game on Saturday night fueled the comeback against the Heat. In the fourth quarter alone, Dinwiddie and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined to shoot 5-5 (1.000) from deep, all of which came in the final six minutes of the game.
Charlotte coming off streak-snapping loss
After starting the season 5-7, the Hornets thrust themselves into the top tier of the Eastern Conference with a five-game winning streak, including a win over the Wizards last week. The run also included wins over the Grizzlies, Warriors and Knicks, all of whom were .500 or better at the time of the game. Charlotte’s streak came to an end on Saturday night with a 10-point loss in Atlanta. Miles Bridges, who has been a breakout star for the Hornets this season, led the way with 35 points and 10 rebounds while LaMelo Ball registered his second triple-double of the season with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Bridges is averaging 21.6 points per game this season, an 8.6 point per game jump from his previous season-long career high.
TICKETS
Tickets for all Wizards home games can be purchased HERE.