Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Washington Wizards
For the first time in 16 days, the San Antonio Spurs reveled in the sweet taste of victory after defeating the Boston Celtics on Friday night. The win snapped their six-game losing skid, their longest of the season.
With successful late-game execution and the perseverance to bounce back after giving up a 24-point first-half lead, San Antonio finally has a performance they can look back on and draw from down the line should they find themselves in a similar situation.
Now with their eyes set on their next opponent, the challenge doesn’t get any easier as they welcome the third-place Washington Wizards, a surprise Eastern Conference contender that has exceeded expectations 20 games into the season.
Coached by first-year playcaller Wes Unseld Jr. and led by three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, the Wizards have taken advantage of their favorable schedule. The veteran additions of Spencer Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma have Washington eight games better than they were a year ago at this point.
San Antonio has to be encouraged by solid outings from Derrick White and Keldon Johnson against the Celtics after struggling with offensive consistency this season. From Keldon’s double-double to Derrick White stuffing the stat sheet, hopefully, each player can use their performance as a launching pad towards unlocking new heights of their game for the remaining 64 games this year.
The Spurs will come into the final matchup of their four-game homestand as a three-point underdog, but they’ll have a shot at overcoming the odds and defeating another playoff-caliber team on Monday night.
