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The Wizards finished December with 10 wins, winning four of their last five games to end 2017. Sitting at 21-16 heading into 2018, the Wizards may be turning the corner to go on a run. The Wizards have won seven of their last 10 games, the fourth-best mark in the NBA behind only the Raptors, Warriors, and Timberwolves. Washington would be the No. 5 seed in the East if the season ended today, but we still have 45 games to go.
There are only 13 days left to vote in the NBA All-Star Game, as Bradley Beal and John Wall have a chance to make it to Los Angeles together. For more on how to vote for your favorite Wizards players, <a href=”https://www.nba.com/wizards/all-star”click here.
This week’s slate…
Wed. vs. Knicks (7pm, NBCSW/1500 AM) - Click here for tickets
Fri. at Grizzlies (9:30pm, NBCSW, ESPN/1500 AM)
Sat. vs. Bucks (8:00pm, NBCSW/1500 AM) - Click here for tickets
Home cookin’
Winners of four in a row at home and seven of their last eight, the Wizards will host six of their next seven games at home to start 2018. After last season's incredible run at home to end the season, the Wizards are back feeling like they can't be beaten on their home floor. The Wizards began their historic 17-game home winning streak around the same time last season (December 8 vs. December 19), and have a real chance to build another long home winning streak.
Washington will host the Knicks, Bucks twice, Jazz, Magic, and Nets. Out of those teams, the Bucks are the only team currently in the playoff picture. Big crowds at Capital One Arena will be needed, especially with three weekend games and a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the first half of January.
3-point differential
Over the past five games, the Wizards have held opponents to an NBA-best 31.4%, despite an NBA-high 35.0 3-point attempts per game average. Overall this season, the Wizards are also holding opponents to an NBA best 33.3% 3-point shooting and are the only team allowing less than 10 triples per game.
Offensively, the Wizards are 34-72 (47.2%) from behind the arc in the last two games, recording the team-record 36 three-point attempts in each game. Washington leads the NBA in three-point shooting over the last 5 games at 42.8%.
Eastern Conference showdowns
The Wizards will host the Knicks in the first game of the season between the two teams. It will be Washington’s first look at the now Carmelo Anthony-less Knicks, who are built on playing hard and their superstar Kristaps Porzingis. The Knicks are just outside the playoff picture right now, but have been playing much better basketball this season.
On Saturday, the Bucks come to town for the first of two games in January between Washington and Milwaukee. The Wizards won the first matchup in Milwaukee during Thanksgiving week, but these teams could easily match up in the playoffs by season’s end. Containing the Bucks three-headed monster of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton twice in two weeks is no easy task.