The Washington Wizards took on the New York Knicks on Saturday with a chance to begin a winning streak of their own after a defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
Washington entered this matchup without Kyle Kuzma who had missed the previous 11 games, and Jordan Poole who was a late scratch with a hip contusion after originally being listed as questionable.
Nonetheless, the Wizards put together an impressive team effort and shooting splits of 51.5% from field goal range and 44.7% from three. Despite being shorthanded, Washington managed to take the Knicks to overtime where they eventually fell short to Jalen Brunson's heroics who finished the game with 55 points.
However, the fight alone from Washington seemed to be a breath of fresh air after a historically bad start to the season. Now, the Wizards get a chance two nights later to get revenge on New York with another battle in Capital One Arena.
Taking what we learned from last game, here's three keys for the Wizards to come out on top with Poole set to miss the matchup once again.
Give Justin Champagnie a larger role
Justin Champagnie has been a pleasant surprise for the Wizards so far this season. The wing hasn't been given many opportunities during his time in the league, but when Washington's injuries began to pile up, the forward rose to the occassion and took the challenge head on.
Against the Knicks on Saturday, Champagnie put the team on his back with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 13/15 from field goal range and 5/6 from three. It's clear he has the skills to compete in the league, now it's time to see if he can do it on a consistent basis.
Prioritize slowing down Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson dominated Washington in their previous matchup and he arguably is the lone reason the Knicks survived. If the Wizards can find a way to slow down Brunson, the chances of squeezing by with a win will only increase.
That said, sticking second-year guard Bilal Coulibaly as the primary defender could be the team's best option in limiting Brunson's production.
Keep Karl-Anthony Towns off the glass
Karl-Anthony Towns put together yet another strong performance for the Knicks on Saturday with 30 points and 14 rebounds. While the points aren't exactly as low as Washington may have wanted, the Kentucky products impact on the glass may have left the bigger impact on the game.
With three offensive rebounds, Towns was able to give the Knicks multiple second-chance opportunities that can't happen in Monday's matchup.