Wizards vs. Knicks preview: Washington hosts New York for In-Season Tournament matchup

The Wizards are desperate for a win as the New York Knicks come to Capital One Arena for an In-Season Tournament matchup. This will be the first regular season game between New York and Washington.

Game info

When: Thursday, November 16th at 7 p.m. ET.

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington

TV: Monumental Sports Network

Injuries

Wizards: Delon Wright, out (knee)

Knicks: RJ Barrett, out (illness); Quentin Grimes, day to day (hand).

What to watch for

Remember when Wizards fans got excited watching Jordan Poole explode for 41 points against the Knicks? The Poole party pretty much ended that day in Madison Square Garden. Since then, the Wizards are 2-10 including one preseason loss, two In-Season Tournament losses, and nine in the regular season. Poole’s offense has ranged from recklessly destructive to decent while his defense has been non-existent.

Perhaps a matchup against New York could jolt Poole back into an offensive rhythm, but the Wizards face a tall task on Friday night. The Knicks rank 9th in point differential per 100 possessions, 6th in defensive rating, and 12th in offensive rating, according to Cleaning the Glass. The Wizards rank 29th, 21st, and 29th respectively in those stats. Overall, the Knicks are 6-5 and have won three of their last four games.

The teams are vying to remain in contention in Group B of the In-Season Tournament. Washington dropped tournament tilts with Miami and Charlotte. New York lost to Milwaukee in their first tournament game. The Wizards only hope to advance to the knockout stage is to win out, starting with tomorrow’s game.