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November 4, Bradley Beal hit a three-pointer in the final second to lift the Wizards to a 102-99 win over the Spurs. The Wizards improved to 3-1 with the win, while the Spurs dropped to 3-2.
One way or another, a team appeared to be making a statement in that game. Either the Wizards were living up to their lofty preseason expectations or the Spurs not living up to theirs. But now that both teams have another full month of basketball under their belts, it's clear the game meant close to nothing.
Washington is 7-12 since Beal's dagger. The only teams with worse point differentials over that span are the Bucks, Nuggets, Lakers and 76ers. The Spurs, on the other hand, are 18-3 and have had the best point differential in the NBA since that loss, even better than the Warriors, as they've crushed their opponents into a fine powder.
A win on Wednesday night may not instant reverse either team's fortunes, but a win in San Antonio just might give the Wizards the boost they need to get back on track. If nothing else, it would be the Wizards' first win in San Antonio since December 11, 1999.
Game Info
When and Where: Wednesday, December 16 @ 8:30 pm at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
Broadcast: The game will be aired on CSN Mid-Atlantic in the DMV and Fox Sports Southwest near San Antonio. You can listen on the radio at WNEW 99.1 FM. For those who are out of market, the game will be streamed on League Pass.
Injury Report
Bradley Beal, Alan Anderson, Nene, and Drew Gooden are all out for the Wizards.
The Spurs are resting Tim Duncan tonight.
INJURY REPORT - Tim Duncan (rest) is out for tonight’s Spurs-Wizards game.
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 16, 2015
What to watch for
Can the Wizards slow down LaMarcus Aldridge, and will it matter?
Despite the Wizards' struggles this season, they've done a solid job defending 4s this season. In their first meeting against the Spurs, they held Aldridge to 10 points. Earlier this month, they held Kevin Love to 8 points, and they kept Dirk Nowitzki and Anthony Davis under 20 points last week. So don't be surprised if the Wizards find a way to slow down the Spurs' prize summer addition, even if they have undersized guys like Jared Dudley and Otto Porter guarding him most of the night.
Of course, even if they shut Aldridge down, it may not matter because...
Most Likely Wizards Killer
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Danny Green has been low-key not great this season. He's only shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from beyond the arc. But if there's a team he can find his touch against, it's the Washington Wizards. Opposing players are shooting 7.1 percent better than average from beyond the arc against the Wizards this season.
Besides, we've already seen Green do well against the Wizards. He's only scored 12 points or more in three games, and one of them was against Washington last month. If it's not Green, just pick another perimeter player on the Spurs who you think will take a bunch of threes and you'll probably be correct.