Getty Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards drives against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center on March 26, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Washington Wizards star shooting guard Bradley Beal will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz because he could be rested.
Candace Buckner of the Washington Post reported that Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said “we’ll see” when asked if Beal will play tonight against the Jazz.
If Beal is out, Jordan McRae and Troy Brown would be in line for a minutes boost. Beal hasn’t missed a game since sitting out the finale of the 2016-17 regular season.
Wizards Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Jazz
*Notates expected starter
C: Thomas Bryant*, Ian Mahinmi
PF: Bobby Portis*, Jabari Parker
SF: Troy Brown*, Jeff Green
SG: Tomas Satoransky*, Wesley Johnson
PG: Jordan McRae*, Chasson Randle
The Wizards will be without Trevor Ariza because of a left groin strain and if Beal doesn’t play, Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis will have to carry the offense in this game.
The Jazz beat the Wizards 116-96 in D.C. on March 18 and they’ve won their last six games against them, with the last loss coming on February 18, 2015.
The Wizards were eliminated from the playoffs with the Heat’s 105-99 win against the Mavericks last night while the Jazz clinched their playoff spot after the Kings lost 121-118 against the Pelicans.
Utah has the second-best defense in the NBA, allowing just 104.9 points per 100 possessions. Rudy Gobert anchors a defense that gives up just 57.9 percent shooting within six feet of the basket, the second best rim protection in the league behind the Bucks. They also rank third with 5.8 blocks per game, with 2.2 of those coming from Gobert.
The Jazz lead the league with a 76.2 percent defensive rebound percentage while their 52.3 percent overall rebound rate ranks third.
The Wizards rank 27th with 42.1 rebounds per game but they rank 11th with a 50.4 percent rebounding percentage in March and they can build on their performance on the boards in Wednesday’s 124-121 win against the Suns, when Thomas Bryant (career-high 19 rebounds), Jabari Parker (career-high 15) and Bobby Portis (nine) combined for 43 rebounds.
Now that the Wizards are eliminated from the playoffs, they will focus on developing and growing their young players so Troy Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, Bobby Portis, Jabari Parker and Chasson Randle will get plenty of playing time.
Salt Lake City is a tough place to play at, the Jazz are 24-12 at home this season while the Wizards are just 9-29 on the road. Utah is 17-4 at Vivint Smart Home Arena since January 1, outscoring opponents by 9.4 points per 100 possessions.
Limiting turnovers will be one of the keys to this game for the Wizards, as every possession counts in a raucous environment like Salt Lake City.
Bradley Beal has emerged as a top player in the league and a leader. Since John Wall was ruled out on December 29, Beal is averaging 28.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 40 games, so if he doesn’t play tonight, replacing that kind of production won’t be easy.
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