Thanks to Bradley Beal’s stellar scoring and some favorable scheduling, the Washington Wizards have a good chance of stringing some wins together.
The Washington Wizards are still a sub .500 team by quite a bit, but they’ve gone 4-3 over their last seven games and have won their last two. By winning back to back games over the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets, the Wizards have now matched their longest winning streak of the season: two.
With only 17 wins through their first 48 games, it’s no surprise that the Wizards haven’t had a handful of lengthy win streaks this season. Or even one. They’ve won back to back games three times now this season. However, both previous instances of back to back victories have been met with defeat.
This time, the odds are in Washington’s favor, though.
Who’s Up Next?
To extend their win streak to three games, the Wizards will need to beat the Golden State Warriors at home. But with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both sidelined, these aren’t the Warriors we’ve been used to. These Warriors have lost 15 of their last 17 games. They have the NBA’s worst record, 11-39, and the NBA’s worst offensive rating, per Basketball-Reference.
The Warriors are bad, but they’re even worse on the road. Of their 11 wins, only four have come away from Oracle Arena. The Wizards, however, are now 11-11 at home.
For the Wizards, this might be their most winnable game of the season, but that doesn’t guarantee anything.
Looking Ahead
Regardless, let’s peek ahead. After the Warriors, the Wizards host the Dallas Mavericks. Usually, this would be a nightmare matchup. Even though the Wizards kept things close in the season-opening loss to the Mavericks, Luka Doncic and company have taken off since then.
However, Doncic won’t be playing when the Mavericks visit Washington. Kristaps Porzingis, who is currently day-to-day and missed the team’s last game, could also be out. Seth Curry is dealing with some knee soreness, and Dwight Powell recently underwent season-ending surgery.
That changes things. A lot.
To Dallas’ credit, they’ve managed pretty well without their MVP candidate this season. It’s no question that he’s the one making the magic happen for the Mavericks, but without Doncic, Dallas has managed to go 3-3 this season with wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. Without Porzingis, they’re 8-3. Without either, they’re 1-0.
Even without Doncic, the Mavericks are legit. But they’re far less explosive. Far less dangerous. And I don’t see another name on that roster that can keep pace with Beal’s scoring.
So a glum Golden State squad and a dinged up Dallas team stand between the Wizards and a four-game winning streak. That’d be twice as long as any streak they’ve put together so far this season. Nothing’s guaranteed, but the road to victory could be a whole lot tougher. For a Wizards team that suddenly finds itself just 3.5 games out of the playoff picture, a little February win streak could go a long way.