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The Washington Wizards begin their Western Conference road trip with a game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Friday.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors snapped their three-game losing streak at the expense of the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks in their last outing. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards' season might be a foregone conclusion as they just cannot seem to bag victories.
Match Details
Fixture: Washington Wizards vs Golden State Warriors | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Friday; April 9th, 2021; 10:00 PM ET (Saturday, April 10th; 7:30 AM IST).
Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA.
Golden State Warriors Preview
The Golden State Warriors are eyeing the play-in tournament this year. They have the fourth-easiest schedule for the remainder of the season, and analysts predict they'll climb the Western Conference ladder. Three of their next four games are against the Houston Rockets, the OKC Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Golden State Warriors recently signed Gary Payton II, son of Seattle Supersonics legend Gary Payton, to a 10-day contract. Payton II was named the NBA G-League Defensive Player of the Year this season, and the Warriors expect a defensive boost off the bench with his addition.
As per The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Payton II will make his debut against the Washington Wizards on Friday. He appeared in 13 games with NBA G-League's Raptors 905 this season and averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.54 steals per game.
Key Player - Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry dropped a 41-point bomb on the Milwaukee Bucks in their last game and has maintained his efficiency from the field all season. He is averaging nearly 30 points per game this season and is the league leader in three-pointers made.
The Warriors desperately need Curry on the floor to win games. They are ranked as the 7th-worst offense in NBA history when he is off the floor as compared to 13th-best in the league when he is on the floor.
Golden State Warriors Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Stephen Curry | Shooting Guard - Andrew Wiggins | Small Forward - Kelly Oubre Jr. | Power Forward - Draymond Green | Center - James Wiseman.
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards have lost 14 of their last 19 games and face the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz next. They are 13th in the Eastern Conference and are 3 wins behind the nearest play-in spot. Even if Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal manage to carry this team to and past the play-in round, they have a near negligible chance of beating the top teams in the East.
Coach Scott Brooks should give the young players more minutes to help develop them and rest his veteran stars for some of the easy matchups. The Wizards can focus on the upcoming draft class headlined by high-scoring guards and two-way forwards.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
2017 MVP Russell Westbrook has been filling out the stat sheet this season. He has 20 triple-doubles in 43 games played in the 2020-21 NBA season. The second on the leaderboard is James Harden with 12.
Although Bradley Beal scores more points, Westbrook's overall contributions make him indispensable. He leads the Wizards in rebounds, assists and steals while scoring the second-highest points.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - Deni Avdija | Power Forward - Rui Hachimura | Center - Alex Len
Wizards vs Warriors Match Prediction
The Golden State Warriors have a slight edge over the Washington Wizards based on their defense and current record. Moreover, Stephen Curry almost always torches the Wizards. He has averaged 33.4 points in his last ten games against this team, including two 51-point performances.
However, the Washington Wizards have two stars in Westbrook and Beal. They have also pulled off a few comeback wins and upsets this season. It would be foolish to count them out against the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
Where to watch the Wizards vs Warriors game
The Washington Wizards vs Golden State Warriors game will be locally televised on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports Washington. It will be broadcast nationally on NBATV. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
