Monday night when the Washington Wizards (38-28) face the Portland Trail Blazers (44-22), they will be going for their fourth straight win; something they have not accomplished since their six game win streak lasting from December 8th until December 19th. Keeping this hot streak alive is a key for the Wizards, as they look to improve upon their current 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
As shown in the vine attached, the fan base is back, and is ready to support the Wizards down the stretch heading into the playoffs. Fans seemed to disappear during the cold spell, but were surprisingly very rowdy in Saturday’s 113-97 comeback win over the Sacramento Kings (22-43). Keeping up this atmosphere is going to be a must going into the playoffs, as a young team such as the Wizards feeds off of, and thrives on the crowd.
The matchup will be tough, but expect to see a back and forth battle between John Wall and Damian Lillard, two of the best young point guard in the entire league. Also, watch out for the matchup between power forwards Nene and Lamarcus Aldridge, which should be one that will be exciting to watch. If both Wall and Nene can control their matchups, this win could come easy for the Wizards, but if not, expect the streak to end at three.
After scoring 22 points on Polish Heritage night at Verizon Center, expect Marcin Gortat to continue his dominance inside the paint as of late. Gortat is finally playing like the man we saw earlier this season, and in the playoffs last season. With Nene being back after his wife gave birth to twins, Gortat should have a little bit of stress taken off his back.
The game tips in the Verizon Center at 7, and expect to see a game that will be tough the entire time, unlike the Sacramento matchup. A win could really boost the confidence of the Wizards, or could improve Portland’s playoff standing even further. Tonight is going to be a must watch matchup for all fans looking to see two teams battle it out for better playoff positioning in their respective conferences.
Washington Wizards Go For 4th Straight Win Vs Portland Trail Blazers
