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The Wizards will wrap up their five-game homestand on Monday night against the Jazz at 7:00 P.M. After beating Memphis on Saturday night, Washington will look to finish the homestand with a 4-1 record. The Jazz have won five in a row against the Wizards, sweeping the last two season series. Utah begins a four-game road trip in Washington, while the Wizards will play two more at home later this week after playing in Chicago Wednesday night.
Game Info
Capital One Arena | 7:00 P.M. | NBC Sports Washington | 1500 AM
Probable Starters
Wizards: G – Tomas Satoransky, G – Bradley Beal, F – Trevor Ariza, F – Jeff Green, C – Bobby Portis
Jazz: G – Ricky Rubio, G – Donovan Mitchell, F – Joe Ingles, F – Derrick Favors, C – Rudy Gobert
Injury Report
Wizards: Dwight Howard (aggravated gluteal soreness – out), John Wall (left Achilles tendon tear – out
Jazz: Dante Exum (right knee – out), Thabo Sefolosha (left hamstring – questionable)
Storylines
Chance for a 4-1 homestand
The Wizards have won three of four so far on their current homestand, and will have a chance to finish 4-1 with a win over the Jazz on Monday. After a disappointing result against the Hornets on Friday, the Wizards bounced back with a big win over the Grizzlies on Saturday. In their first four games of this homestand, the Wizards have outscored their opponents by 4.4 points per 100 possessions and they have a true shooting percentage of 60.0%, just behind the Raptors during that span. For the Wizards to continue to push for a playoff spot, they’re going to have to beat good teams like the Jazz down the stretch. Washington and Utah will face off twice in the next two weeks, with the second matchup coming in Salt Lake City next Friday night.
Beal continues to ball
Bradley Beal is coming off consecutive 40-point games over the weekend, making 16 3-pointers in two games. Beal is not only proving to be one of the best guards in the East, but also one of the top players in all of the NBA. Since the All-Star break, Beal is averaging 31.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 50.4% from the field, 40.0% from 3-point, and 84.6% from the free throw line. The Jazz are known as one of the best defensive teams in the league and will throw a lot of looks at Beal, hoping to throw him off his rhythm. Beal has simply been out of this world good, and the Wizards will need another All-NBA type performance to beat the Jazz on Monday.
Gobert’s impact
Beal will certainly be the point of emphasis for the Jazz to watch on Monday, while the Wizards will need to contain Rudy Gobert on both ends of the floor. On the season, Gobert is averaging 15.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. Gobert leads the Jazz on the glass, ranking third in the NBA in rebounding percentage, an area the Wizards have had trouble all season. An elite rim protector, the Wizards will still need to be aggressive going to the basket. Oftentimes teams are hesitant to attack against Gobert, proving that just his presence impacts the game more than most players. The Wizards have struggled recently against dominant big men like Gobert, and they’ll need Bobby Portis, Thomas Bryant, and possibly Ian Mahinmi to step up on Monday night.