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The Wizards (5-8) close out their three-game homestand Sunday against the Sacramento Kings (6-8) with tip set for 6:00 P.M. at Capital One Arena. Washington is riding its first winning streak of the season after topping San Antonio and Charlotte earlier this week while Sacramento is looking to bounce back from a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Game Info
Capital One Arena | 6:00 P.M. | NBCSW | 1500 AM
Probable Starters
Wizards: G – Isaiah Thomas, G – Bradley Beal, F – Troy Brown Jr., F – Rui Hachimura, C – Thomas Bryant
Kings: G – Cory Joseph, G – Buddy Hield, F – Harrison Barnes, F – Nemanja Bjelica, C – Richaun Holmes
Injury Report
Wizards: John Wall (left Achilles rehab – out), Ian Mahinmi (right Achilles strain – out)
Kings: Marvin Bagley III (right thumb fracture – out), Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring tightness – doubtful), De’Aaron Fox (left ankle sprain – out), Cory Joseph (left heel bruise – probable)
Storylines
Wizards turning offensive production into wins
The Wizards offense has been among the best in the NBA since the start of the season, but through the first nine games, Washington struggled to turn that production into wins. That changed in the last 10 days as the Wizards have now won three of their last four games and scored 120-plus points in five consecutive outings. Over that stretch, Washington has shot 52.9% from the field and 44.4.% from 3-point range, both tops in the league. The Wizards’ 33.6 assists per game also rank first over the span, 4.8 assists per game more than Philadelphia and Denver, who are tied for second.
Beal looks to stay hot
Friday night against the Hornets, Bradley Beal continued his hot streak with one of his best all-around games of the season, scoring 30 points on 10-19 (.526) shooting along with 12 assists and five rebounds. It marked the fourth time since the start of last season that Beal totaled 30 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Only John Wall, Gilbert Arena and Rod Strickland have more such games in team history. Beal has scored 30-plus points in five consecutive games.
That hot streak could be put to the test Sunday as Beal averages “just” 20.8 points per game in his career against Sacramento and has been held under 30 in each of his last four meetings with the Kings. However, Kings guard Buddy Hield, who will likely bear at least some defensive responsibility for Beal, holds one of the worst defensive ratings for wing players seeing sizeable minutes. Look for Beal to attack that matchup and keep his hot streak going.
Short-handed Kings
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, who is averaging 18.2 points and 7.0 assists per game this season, has missed the last five games with a left ankle sprain and likely won’t return to action until December. The team has stayed afloat in his absence, going 3-2 in the five games he has missed. Since Fox went down, Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic have picked up the scoring load averaging 20.8 and 21.5 points, respectively, including a 30-point performance from each. However, Bogdanovic missed Friday’s matchup against the Nets with tightness in his left hamstring. Over the last three seasons, Hield has developed into one of the best shooters in the league, hitting 42.3% from beyond the arc on 6.8 attempts per game over that span.
Cory Joseph has started in Fox’s place and has balanced out his shooting struggles by consistently getting the ball in the hands of Sacramento’s best scorers. Joseph is averaging 6.0 assists per game and just 1.4 turnovers in the last five games, including a career-best 14-assist outing against Phoenix on November 19.