The Wizards open their second half schedule on Wednesday night, taking on the Grizzlies at 8:00 P.M. in Memphis. Washington looks to carry over momentum from its 8-3 finish to the first half and split the season series after falling to Memphis on March 2 in D.C.
GAME INFO
FedExForum | 8:00 P.M. | NBCSW | 1500 AM
PROBABLE STARTERS
Wizards: G – Russell Westbrook, G – Bradley Beal, G – Garrison Mathews, F – Rui Hachimura, C – Moe Wagner
Grizzlies: G – Ja Morant, G – Desmond Bane, F – Dillon Brooks, F – Brandon Clarke, C – Jonas Valanciunas
INJURY REPORT
Wizards: Thomas Bryant (left ACL injury – out), Ish Smith (right quadriceps strain – out)
Grizzlies: Grayson Allen (NBA Concussion Protocol – out), Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee meniscus surgery recovery – out)
STORYLINES
Wizards hope to stay hot after strong first half finish
After a slow start to the regular season through December and January, the Wizards made a late push in the first half, winning eight of their last 11 games. The run included five straight victories and a two-point win over the Clippers in their final game before the break. With ground to make up in the Eastern Conference standings, the primary objective for the Wizards heading into their matchup with the Grizzlies will be maintaining that positive momentum from just before All-Star weekend. Wednesday night’s matchup marks their first game in five days for everyone but All-Star starter Bradley Beal, a necessary stretch of rest leading into a daunting second half schedule. After returning from Memphis, the Wizards will play five games in seven days, including matchups with some of the league’s best teams: two games against the Bucks, one against the East-leading Sixers, one against the West-leading Jazz and one against the Kings.
“It’s very positive right now,” Robin Lopez said on Tuesday. “I think we realize we have a lot of work to get done, but there’s a lot of good energy. People are excited to be playing right now and that’s a good feeling to have this deep into the season.”
Searching for 3-point consistency
One key to unlocking the potential of this Wizards’ offense in the second half of the season will be improved consistency from 3-point range. Through 34 games, Washington ranks 28th in the league in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.4%, ahead of only the Thunder and the Rockets. After shooting above 35.0% in both December and January, the Wizards’ 3-point shooting rate fell to 31.6% during February. And while the team has hit its stride in the win-loss column, that success has come in spite of a number of poor shooting percentages from deep. In their last eight games, the Wizards have shot over 40.0% from 3-point range just once, an 11-20 (.550) night against the Clippers that came in a loss. Davis Bertans, who has made at least two 3-pointers in each of his last 18 games, has found his touch from deep after a slow start to the season, but the Wizards will need to see similar improvement from other contributing members of the offense. To this point in the season, Garrison Mathews (.400), Bertans (.384), Raul Neto (.373) and Dani Avdija (.356) are the only Wizards shooting above 35.0% from three. Wednesday should provide a good opportunity to get on track as Memphis ranks 21st in the league in opponent 3-point percentage (.375)
Wizards look for redemption after last week’s loss to Grizzlies
The Wizards’ matchup with the Grizzlies on Wednesday will be the teams’ second meeting this month. Last week, Memphis topped the Wizards 125-111 behind a standout performance from sophomore guard Ja Morant, who totaled 35 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. The Wizards were done in by their inability to take care of the ball, committing a season-high 22 turnovers. Washington made quick progress on that front, turning the ball over just nine times in their first half finale against the Clippers, their first single-digit turnover game in over a month.
“(Memphis) attacked us on both ends of the court,” Brooks said of the teams’ first meeting. “They were physical defensively. Offensively, they got to the paint. They gave us problems, but I think we have a chance to redeem ourselves. But we’re going to have to play better. This is a good team. They’re fighting. They’re on the rise themselves…We’re going to have to keep them out of the paint. We’re going to have to do a better job in their pick and rolls…We have to show more physicality to give ourselves a chance to win.”
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March 10, 2021 at 10:20AM
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Preview: Wizards open second half Tuesday in Memphis - WashingtonWizards.com
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