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The Washington Wizards (0-8) will have two chances to notch their first win of the year against squads that currently sit at .500 or worse, as they play the Indiana Pacers Monday before heading to Atlanta to take on the Hawks Wednesday.
Washington has lost by ten points or less in seven of their eight outings on the season, so they've been coming close. One of those losses was a four-point loss against the 4-7 Pacers earlier this month: In that game, Washington couldn't stop Paul George, who had 20 points, and couldn't hold on to a lead after entering the fourth quarter with a slight advantage.
Since that game, the Pacers have only won one game in four tries, including two games where they were held under 80 points - Indiana has the second-lowest offensive efficiency in the NBA, behind Washington. The Pacers are 1-6 on the road, so Monday night's home date for Washington could be a good opportunity for the team to finally join the other 29 teams in the league with wins.
Wednesday night, the Wizards head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks, who are currently 4-4. Al Horford and Josh Smith are tied for the team lead in scoring with 15.6 points a game, and both average more than eight rebounds as well. They'll provide a tough physical challenge for Trevor Booker and Trevor Ariza at the forward spots in the first matchup between the divisional opponents.
Here's the Wizards' upcoming schedule:
Monday, November 19: vs. Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m., Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
Wednesday, November 21, @ Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m., Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
For more on Monday's game, check out this preview from our content partners at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, featuring "Fast Break" with Wizards radio voices Dave Johnson and Glenn Consor.