The Washington Wizards have just one winning streak for the whole season. They will have a chance to pick up another one Tuesday night when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite Washington’s quest to win a second straight, Portland (40-30, 24-10 home) is heavily favored in the matchup. The Trail Blazers are one of eight teams with 10 or fewer home losses and the Wizards, with just one road win, are the owners of the worst road record in the league.
The Trail Blazers are coming off of a devastating loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. They held the lead for much of the second half but succumbed to the clutch play of Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher in the fourth quarter. Nacolas Batum led the way with 25 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge chipped in 18 points and 6 rebounds. Prior to the loss, Portland had averaged 108.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting in a three-game winning streak.
Washington (17-51, 1-31 away) ended a six-game skid with Sunday’s 98-92 win over New Jersey. Rookie point guard John Wall had 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the win. It was Washington’s second win in 15 games since the Wizards recorded their only road win, 115-100 over Cleveland on Feb. 13.
Wall is averaging 18.7 points since the All-Star break. Fellow rookie Jordan Crawford, who joined the team in a trade-deadline deal, is averaging 20.5 over his last six.
The Trail Blazers may be without center Marcus Camby when the Wizards come to town. He left Sunday’s game early with a sprained ankle and he is questionable for Tuesday’s game.
I'm a basketball fan from Vancouver, Canada. Losing the Grizzlies was bitter-sweet. They sucked balls, so I never really started supporting them, but now I only get to catch games on TV.