Why the Wizards vs. Nets game this Saturday is very important to see in person

The Washington Wizards will play against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, Feb. 1. It will be a very important contest to attend for several reasons, including the following:

• The Nets were hyped as a championship contender, yet they’re underachieving. That could be an opportunity for Washington — The Nets have lost six of their last seven games through Jan. 26. With the exception of Kevin Durant, they don’t have too many injuries. But oddly enough, Brooklyn is 19-26 despite having more stars than Washington.
• Both Washington and Brooklyn have starting point guards who aren’t playing at their absolute prime — The starting point guards will be Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving for the Wizards and Nets, respectively. Thomas has dealt with injuries over the last few years which is why he isn’t playing at the level he did with the Boston Celtics a few years ago. As for Irving, he also hasn’t played at a particularly high level, even if his individual stats are quite impressive.
• A win against Brooklyn will be a positive indicator of Washington’s ability to upset more star-studded teams — The Wizards have beaten the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, teams that all have more “box office” talent. The Nets, even if they are underachieving, also fit in this category. That seems to fit the category of a type of game that Washington can win, even if they’ve also had disappointing losses to teams likely going to the lottery, like the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week.

There are plenty of tickets available for this weekend. Click on the link below to see what’s available.

We’ll also have a more traditional preview this Friday before the Wizards ... go hard and beat the Nets this Saturday!

Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.