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Wizards return to action in Charlotte

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In the first game after the All-Star break, Bradley Beal and the Wizards will head to Charlotte to take on the Hornets. With 24 games to go, the Wizards sit three games back of a playoff spot. Tomas Satoransky will be back with the Wizards after missing two games before the break. Both teams will be playing on the first night of a weekend back-to-back.

Game Info

Spectrum Center | 7:00 P.M. | NBC Sports Washington | 1500 AM

Probable Starters

Wizards: G – Tomas Satoransky, G – Bradley Beal, F – Trevor Ariza, F – Jeff Green, C – Thomas Bryant

Hornets: G – Kemba Walker, G – Jeremy Lamb, F – Nicolas Batum, F – Marvin Williams, C – Cody Zeller

Injury Report

Wizards: Dwight Howard (aggravated gluteal soreness – out), John Wall (left Achilles tendon tear – out)

Hornets: TBD

Storylines

The final 24 games begin

The All-Star break is over, and now it’s back to business. With 24 games left in the season, the Wizards sit at 24-34. With injuries and trades, the season has not gone as expected by any means, but the Wizards have a chance to still maneuver their way into the playoffs. The Hornets are currently the No. 7 team in the East, leading the Wizards by three and a half games. Washington is within striking distance, but needs to get off on the right foot on Friday. Overall, a win in Charlotte would mean the Wizards would at least tie the season series, and they put themselves in great position to own the tiebreaker against the Hornets.

Sato set to return

After missing the team’s two games before the break for personal reasons, Tomas Satoransky will be returning to the starting lineup on Friday. The Wizards missed Satoransky’s two-way consistency and look forward to having him back. Chasson Randle and Bradley Beal did the majority of the ball-handling in Satoransky’s absence, and the Wizards will ask Satoransky to carry the load with Beal the rest of the way. In 21 games since John Wall was ruled out for the season, Satoransky is averaging 11.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game on 47.8% overall shooting and 48.1% from deep.

Keys to the division matchup

Washington won the first of four matchups between these two teams, withstanding Kemba Walker’s 47-point night. Stopping Walker will be the priority once again, which is easier said than done. Outside of Walker, the Hornets struggle to score; they are 9.8 points per 100 possessions worse offensively with him off the court. With all of the attention on Walker – and rightly so – the Wizards will need to contain the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams, and Nicolas Batum from heating up and gaining confidence. Still, the Hornets have struggled offensively in their last 10 games, only shooting 42.4% from the field and 31.1% from deep. If the Wizards can get back to their defensive identity from January, they will have a great chance to win. Getting Tomas Satoransky back will help that, as well as more practice and game time for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker.