The Washington Wizards (0-6) begin a three-game homestand Friday evening as they host the New York Knicks (2-4) in a matchup of struggling teams.
The Wizards suffered their most recent defeat Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, 103-85, in a dreadful performance which drew criticism from veteran forward Rashard Lewis. "To me, nobody came out and competed," he said. "I don't know if we were scared of we just went out there and went through the motions." Washington shot 36.6 percent for the game, allowed the Magic to outrebound it by 10, and yielded 45.9 percent shooting to Orlando.
New York, meanwhile, has lost four of its last five following its opening-night victory against the Boston Celtics. Most recently, they fell to the Charlotte Bobcats, 118-110, allowing six Bobcats to score in double figures. Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire combined for 57 points and 18 rebounds, but their contributions simply weren't enough to pull off the victory.
The Knicks swept the season series from Washington, 3-0, in the 2010/11 season, winning each game by an average of 14.7 points per game. Friday's tipoff is set for 7 Eastern on Comcast SportsNet.
For more on the Wizards, please visit Bullets Forever, SB Nation's Wizards blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation New York and Posting and Toasting, SB Nation's Knicks blog.