The Washington Wizards (40-41) welcome the Atlanta Hawks (48-33) to the Verizon Center as the regular season comes to an end. The game begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 13 and will air on FxS and WA2.
The Wizards were victorious over the Nets 120-111 on Monday. Ramon Sessions was a key piece, recording his third double-double this season with 21 points and 12 assists. The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 109-94 loss against the Cavaliers on Monday. Al Horford had a solid game, accumulating his 17th double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Sessions has really been playing well for the Wizards, averaging 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers. On the other side, the Hawks have quite a few players that have upped their production in that same span. The best out of the bunch has been Kent Bazemore, who averaged 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 2.5 three-pointers. While Jeff Teague (23.2 PTS, 2.2 REB, 6.4 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.6 BLK, and 2.2 3PM) and Paul Millsap (19.0 PTS, 13.4 REB, 3.8 AST, 1.6 STL, 3.4 BLK, and 1.6 3PM) have also been notable.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the league’s elite defenses. The Wizards rank fourth in the NBA in defensive efficiency (104.4), while the Hawks are first (99.5). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Hawks. They are 29th in the league in free throw attempt rate (23.5), while the Wizards are among the league’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 28.2, ranking third in the NBA).
The Hawks have won two out of three against the Wizards this season, including a 122-101 blowout in their last matchup. Dennis Schroder had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 23 points, four rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one three-pointer.
The Wizards are hoping to improve on their records of 40-41 Straight Up (SU) and 42-38-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 8-7 SU and 6-8-1 ATS when playing their division.
Over on the other bench, the Hawks have 48-33 SU and 41-38-2 ATS records. In divisional games, Atlanta has gone 9-6 SU and ATS. Offensively, the Hawks have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 102.9 points per game by averaging 110.3 during that stretch. The Hawks average 99.1 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 107.9 points per game during that span. A large part of Atlanta’s game is creating turnovers and turning them into points. They are scoring 18.6 points per game off turnovers, which ranks fourth in the league.
Atlanta won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record in the past 10 games to 6-4. With a 5-4-1 record, the Hawks also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Atl
Notes
Washington puts up an average of 104.0 points per game (ranked ninth), while Atlanta allows 99.1 points per game (ranked sixth).
On average, Washington puts up 106.0 points per home game (ranked eighth), while Atlanta gives up 100.6 points per away game (ranked seventh).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Wizards are 26-5 on the season. When the Hawks score fewer than 100, they are a poor 9-24.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Wizards are just 14-36 this season. Atlanta is a superb 39-9 when it hits the century mark.
The Hawks have the league’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 99.5. The Wizards have an offensive rating of 103.6 (ranked 18th).
The Washington Wizards average 100.4 possessions and 1.036 points per possession in games this season. The Atlanta Hawks average fewer possessions with 99.4, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.036.
The Washington Wizards have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the league with an EFF% of 51.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Atlanta Hawks have a losing 8-16 record.
Atlanta ranks near the top of the league in assists at second (25.7 assists per game). Washington is ranked fifth, with 24.4 assists per game.
Atlanta, the fourth-ranked team in terms of blocking, makes an average of 6.0 blocks per game. Washington ranks lower at 26th with 3.9.
The Washington Wizards rank 27th in offensive rebounding, while the Atlanta Hawks rank 13th in defensive rebounding.
Atlanta averages 9.1 steals per game, ranking third in the league. Washington is a losing 12-22 when it gives up at least 9 steals.
