The Washington Wizards are trying to climb the ranks of the Eastern Conference with just a handful of games left in the regular season. Early expectations might not have been met by Washington, but the Wizards are putting things together at the right time and getting games against a few of the league's bottomfeeders is certainly helping. After beating the Philadelphia 76ers, the team now takes on the New York Knicks on Friday.
The Wizards are really putting things together as they get chemistry going at the right time. They certainly put it on display against the 76ers, leading by as many as 34 at one point to get the 106-93 win. John Wall had a nice double-double with 13 points and 15 assists while Marcin Gortat added 23 points and 14 rebounds and Bradley Beal had another 20 while shooting 57.9 percent. Wall is currently in a stretch where he is averaging 30.3 points and 8.0 assists over his last three games.
The Wizards gave Paul Pierce the night off as he has been struggling averaging just 4.6 points while going 6 of 27 over his last five games. However, in his place Otto Porter has been thriving with two straight 15-point games. That has helped the Wizards as they get ready for a difficult stretch to finish the end of the regular season.
The Knicks are not part of that stretch. At this point, the team has dropped eight games straight and the goal is now to earn the No. 1 overall draft pick. If the Knicks finish with the worst record in the league which they currently have they will be guaranteed a pick No. 4 or higher. The team did come close to beating Brooklyn on Wednesday. They rallied for a 14-point deficit only to lose in the end.
New York is hoping that Andre Bargnani can be an x-factor in this game as he was injured the last time these two teams played one another. Bargnani is auditioning for a role next season as he averages 20.3 points over his last three games. Bargnani paired with Cleanthony Early could get the Knicks a win that the fan base does not want.
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