The Washington Wizards welcome the Houston Rockets to Capital One Arena on Sunday, Nov. 15, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Wizards are 12th in the Eastern Conference at 4–9 and have lost six straight games. They came close to ending that streak against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday but fell 144–140 in double overtime.
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The Rockets are third in the Western Conference at 10–3 and have won three in a row. They are coming off a 125–118 victory over the Utah Jazz in NBA Cup play, with Alperen Sengun putting up 43 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists on 17-of-24 shooting. Washington has the size to make things harder on Sengun, but it will need to defend the players around him just as well.
Injury Report
Wizards
Alex Sarr: Questionable (Illness)
Tre Johnson: Questionable (Lower Back Soreness)
Bub Carrington: Questionable (Chest Contusion)
Tristan Vukcevic: Out (Hip)
Reece Beekman: Out (AC Joint)
Justin Champagnie: Out (Foot)
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Jamir Watkins: Out (ACL)
Rockets
Steven Adams: Probable (Calf)
Clint Capela: Out (Ankle)
Fred VanVleet: Out (Knee Injury Management)
Marcus Smart: Out (League Suspension)
Why The Wizards Have The Advantage?
The Wizards rank 26th in offensive rating at 108.7, 19th in defensive rating at 114.3, and 23rd in net rating at minus-5.5. They average 110.0 points per game, but they do have a way to score when their jumpers aren’t falling. Washington makes 20.4 free throws per game, good for 10th in the league.
Attacking the paint early could get the Wizards into the bonus and test Houston’s center depth with Capela out.
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Anthony Davis has been Washington’s most reliable player, averaging 25.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 52.4% from the field. Trae Young is averaging 19.7 points and 8.8 assists, although he’s shooting just 39.3% from the field and 31.5% from three.
The Wizards should put those two in the pick-and-roll and make Houston decide how much help to send. Young can hit Davis on the roll, and if a defender rotates over early, he can find Kyshawn George on the perimeter.
Washington also ranks 10th in defensive rebounds at 32.4 per game and ninth in blocks at 5.3. If Sarr plays, the Wizards can put Davis on Sengun and still have another big near the rim to contest cutters and clean up misses. That gives them a better chance of defending Houston without pulling a wing away from one of its shooters.
Why The Rockets Have The Advantage?
Houston ranks third in offensive rating at 119.3, eighth in defensive rating at 110.2, and fourth in net rating at +9.1. The Rockets shoot 47.8% from the field and 37.2% from three, and their 13.2 offensive rebounds per game give them another way to score when the first shot doesn’t fall. Washington can defend well for most of a possession and still give up points if it doesn’t finish with a rebound.
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Sengun is averaging 23.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists while shooting 54.4% from the floor and 45.8% from three. Davis can make him work for his points, but Sengun can also run the offense from the elbow. If the Wizards stay home on Houston’s shooters, he can give the ball to a cutter or back his defender down. If they help, he can make the pass before they recover.
Kevin Durant is averaging 21.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 36.0% from three. Jabari Smith Jr. adds 15.9 points and 6.3 rebounds on 40.7% shooting from deep.
Smith gives Sengun a dependable outlet, and Durant gives Houston someone who can get a shot late in the clock if Washington takes away the first option.
X-Factors
Kyshawn George is averaging 18.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 42.1% from three. He can punish Houston for helping on Davis and handle the ball when Young sits. AJ Dybantsa is averaging 15.0 points and 6.1 rebounds, but shooting 23.3% from three gives Houston a reason to sag off him. He can use that space to cut behind defenders instead of settling for jumpers.
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Sarr averages 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds on 53.0% shooting. If he’s out, Deandre Ayton’s minutes become more significant, particularly when Davis rests. Bilal Coulibaly can also help by taking some of the defensive possessions against Durant.
Amen Thompson is averaging 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 51.4% from the field. With VanVleet and Smart out, he can take on more of the ball-handling and pressure Young on defense.
Tari Eason adds 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds, and his work on the offensive glass could be especially valuable if Washington goes smaller. Reed Sheppard, who averages 9.1 points and 2.6 assists, will need to keep the offense organized when Sengun sits.
Prediction
Davis and Young can keep Washington competitive, especially if Sarr plays and helps finish possessions on the glass. Houston has more ways to get a good shot over four quarters. Şengün can run the offense without VanVleet, Durant can take over when Washington breaks up the first action, and Smith and Thompson can punish the help in different ways.
I expect the Rockets to pull away in the second half and extend their winning streak to four.
Prediction: Wizards vs. Rockets 115-121
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
