Preview: Washington Wizards look for third straight win against Orlando Magic
The Washington Wizards have yet to win three straight games at any point this season. Can they pull off a victory against the Orlando Magic for their first three-game streak of the year?
The Washington Wizards will look to put together a legitimate win streak when they face off against the Orlando Magic. Although they have now put together two two-game streaks this season, they have yet to extend it to three.
Now could be their chance as the Wizards are looking hot, coming off a stretch where they’ve taken down contenders like the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and the Boston Celtics.
It’s also worth noting that all of those wins came without Washington’s best player in Bradley Beal. Beal is questionable for tonight’s game in Orlando.
Orlando Magic Players to Watch
One of the best NBA stories this season has been Markelle Fultz.
After playing just 33 games in two seasons, due to a bizarre shoulder injury, he’s now played 36 of 37 possible games this season in Orlando. And his most recent? A career-high 25-point performance in a win over the free falling Brooklyn Nets.
Fultz is now averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals on the year. Watch for him to have an impact on both sides of the ball in Wednesday night’s game against Washington.
And then, of course, you’ve got to watch Nikola Vučević.
Ian Mahinmi and Anžejs Pasečņiks are holding down the center position for the Wizards, but it’ll take some effort to stop the opposing big man.
Vučević is averaging 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a block per game in 31.4 minutes.
He’s vying for his second consecutive All-Star appearance, and his 36 percent shot from deep is bound to cause problems for Mahinmi and Pasečņiks.
Lastly, Terrence Ross will be hard to avoid paying attention to. In the month of January, the small forward has scored 74 points in four games. Ross is a natural scorer in a groove right now, which is dangerous for this Washington defense.
Washington Wizards to Watch
Washington’s MVP-candidate isn’t Beal, it’s Ish Smith. Don’t believe me? Well, he earned “MVP!” chants at the free-throw line late in Monday’s win over the Celtics.
Ok, but on a serious note, the Wizards’ backup point guard has willed the team to their back-to-back wins on his own two shoulders. The 28-year old has scored 59 points over his last two games and is now averaging 21.3 points per game for the month of January.
In the last contest between these two teams, Smith had a relatively quiet night, scoring just 10 points against Orlando in their last matchup on January 3rd.
Considering what Smith has done in this most recent stretch, one has to think he’ll top that on Wednesday night. Because if he has an off night, a Wizards’ win may be hard to come by.
Next. 3 takeaways from Wizards' win over the Celtics. dark
Watch for Jordan McRae to keep up his hot scoring streak as well. After missing 10 games due to surgery on his right ring finger, he’s averaging 20.6 points over his last seven games.
That includes a career-high 35 point outing against the Portland Trail Blazers.
A Wizards win on Wednesday may be hard to come by especially if Beal misses his fourth straight game. But if Washington’s bench can play to the same level they have in their most recent and impressive wins — well then it’s their ball game to lose.