It’s probably no coincidence that a team spearheaded by Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are barreling their way into the NBA play-in tournament. The Washington Wizards duo are the perfect pairing of a pulsating triple-double machine and a fearless scoring dynamo with a shared competitive purpose.
With 11 games left on their schedule, Westbrook, Beal, and the rest of the Wizards are hellbent on making a late season push. Despite a setback in their last game, they previously won eight straight to be one of the hottest teams in the league.
Beal is averaging a league-best 31.4 points per game with shooting splits of 48/34/90. Westbrook, meanwhile, is putting up 21.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 11.0 assists. The two are spinning plates on sticks with ease, carrying much of the load for the Wizards,
Even Washington’s last loss - an overtime shootout against the San Antonio Spurs - was a testament to the team’s hunger to win their remaining games. Beal torched the net with 45 points (without making a 3!) and Westbrook recorded a 22-13-14 for his 29th triple-double of the season.
The Wizards are holding on to the 10th seed with a 27-34 record, with the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors chasing them. A true test awaits Beal and Westbrook as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
The defending champions have been shackled by injuries for much of the season but are slowly gaining back full strength. They are fifth in the West with a 36-25 record, two games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks.
After missing 30 games because of a right calf strain, Anthony Davis has recovered and played in his last three. He had 18 points and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 114-103 victory over the Orlando Magic.
With Davis back in the fold, all eyes will be on the impending return of LeBron James. It’s been more than a month since James hurt his ankle and it seems like he’ll be back on the court soon enough. He posted on Instagram the other day a video of him jogging full court. The one-minute clip, which had a caption “coming soon to a city near you,” ended with the King making a layup.
There’s no definite date yet of James’ return and it will be up to Davis, along with Dennis Schröder to man the fort. Schröder had 21 points and 10 dimes against the Magic and was instrumental down the stretch with 13 fourth quarter points.
A recovering team but the defending champions no less will have their hands full against a determined Wizards team featuring Westbrook and Beal. The surging Wizards will do anything they can to secure the 10th seed while the Lakers will try to cement their place in the playoffs.
Tipoff between the two is at 7:30AM on NBA TV Philippines via Cignal TV or NBA.smart, free for Smart Signature & Smart Prepaid subscribers with Giga Video subscription.
Prior to their recent loss, the Wizards are winners of eight straight games. They are looking to regain momentum as they face the Lakers.
