Washington Wizards (4-22) vs. Golden State Warriors (13-14)

The slumping Washington Wizards close down their four-game road trip on Friday night when they face off against the Golden State Warriors in the cross-conference showdown at Chase Center in San Francisco, California.

Washington takes on Golden State for the first time in 2023-24. The Warriors open as huge 12.5-point home favorites with a total of 248.0 points. Last season, the Warriors swept a two-game set against the Wizards and covered the spread on both occasions.

The Wizards play without rest

Thursday’s games have been excluded from the analysis, and the 4-22 Washington Wizards visited the Portland Trail Blazers, hoping to snap their two-game skid. The Wizards opened their current road trip with a 112-108 defeat at the Phoenix Suns last Sunday and followed it with a 143-131 loss at the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

Washington shot 51.8% from the field against the Kings. The Wizards went 18-for-38 from beyond the arc and posted a 26/12 assist-to-turnover ratio, but they couldn’t stop anything. Jordan Poole had 28 points (8-for-13 from deep), Kyle Kuzma notched 27 points and eight rebounds, and Tyus Jones added 16 points and nine assists.

The Wizards are now 29th in the league in adjusted defensive efficiency (121.9 points allowed per 100 possessions). They rank 30th in opposing 2-point percentage (58.2%) and assists allowed per 100 possessions (29.1). Keep in mind that Washington plays at the fastest pace in the NBA, tallying 104.1 possessions per 48 minutes.

The Warriors aim for their fourth straight win

The Golden State Warriors (13-14; 12-15 ATS) are back on the right track. They’ve won three straight contests, sandwiching a 118-114 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers with a pair of home wins against the Brooklyn Nets 124-120 and Boston Celtics 132-126 in overtime.

Last Tuesday, the Warriors erased a 17-point third-quarter deficit to hand the mighty Celtics their sixth loss in 2023-24. Golden State went 20-for-50 from downtown and posted a 29/10 assist-to-turnover ratio. Stephen Curry led the charge with 33 points and six assists, Klay Thompson had 24 points and four dimes, while rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis added ten points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks off the bench.

The Warriors are without Draymond Green (suspension), and it seems like his absence helped Golden State to turn the corner. Jonathan Kuminga (12.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG) replaced Green in the starting lineup, while Jackson-Davis now has a chance to showcase his ability. The Warriors are currently 15th in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency (116.1) and 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency (115.6).