The bottom feeders of each conference square off in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, when the Washington Wizards host the Utah Jazz.
Washington’s 11-49 mark is the NBA’s worst, and having lost eight of its last 10, the team sits firmly in control of receiving the best odds to win the NBA draft lottery in May.
Jordan Poole, the Wizards’ leading scorer at 21 points per game, has missed the last two games with a hyperextended elbow, while Malcolm Brogdon (12.7 ppg) hasn’t suited up since Feb. 10 as he deals with a sprained left ankle.
Missing its top two offensive threats, Washington suffered a 106-90 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, in which it shot 36.9 percent from the field and mustered just 12 second-quarter points.
“We just didn’t have that zip or sharpness to our game tonight,” Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said postgame. “We missed some easy layups early that I thought would have helped us. We weren’t sharp on either end. Our defense wasn’t physical; we weren’t in the passing lanes like we should’ve been.”
Washington newcomer Khris Middleton led the team with 16 points and is averaging 12 points per game in five contests since being acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Utah is havine one of the worst seasons in its 51-year history and will miss out on its third straight postseason. The Jazz are coming off a nine-game homestand that predated the All-Star break. After losing six of nine, Utah is set to play its first road game since Feb. 10.
Last time out, the Jazz fell to the visiting Detroit Pistons 134-106 on Monday in a contest that wasn’t competitive by the end of the first quarter. Utah led by a point midway through the quarter, but after a 14-0 Detroit run, the Jazz’s deficit was never in single digits. Utah turned the ball over 28 times, one off its season high.
“The deciding factor in the game was turnovers,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “We had 18 at halftime and 28 for the game. It’s really hard to win if we can’t take care of the ball. We did not do a good job of fighting for our space, and we did not do a good job of playing in straight lines. You put yourself in a really bad spot when you do that.”
One bright spot was the play of Utah rookie Kyle Filipowski, who finished with a career-high 25 points and four made 3-pointers.
“I think the work that Kyle has done on his shooting is showing itself,” Hardy said. “Kyle developing his perimeter shot has changed how he’s guarded. It’s really good for our team, and it’s really good for Kyle.”
Filipowski is averaging 16 points and 10.7 rebounds over his last three games. Lauri Markkanen, who leads Utah with 19.3 points per game, has missed five straight contests with a back injury. No. 2 scorer John Collins (18.6 ppg) missed his second straight game Monday with a back injury.
–Field Level Media
