Wizards battle Philadelphia's potent offense, featuring Maxey and Embiid, hoping young talent like Riley and Hardy can spark an upset.
Washington Wizards (17-58) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (41-34)
When: Tuesday, April 1, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
The Washington Wizards will return home to Capital One Arena to take on the Philadelphia 76ers following their four game west coast road trip.
Washington went 1-3 on their road trip, with their loan win being against the Utah Jazz, but lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
With only seven games remaining in the regular season, Washington will look to build some momentum here late with hopes to carry it over into next season. However, they will be challenged against a tough Philadelphia team who currently occupies the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-34 record.
Philadelphia 76ers Guard VJ Edgecombe (77) & Washington Wizards Guard Bub Carrington (7) | © Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesPhiladelphia has one of the more potent offenses in the NBA, led by All-Star Tyrese Maxey and former MVP award winner Joel Embiid. That's without mentioning former All-NBA selection Paul George and electric rookie VJ Edgecombe.
Washington's youth will have their hands full in this one, as their inexperience is likely to handicap them against Philadelphia's experience.
Expect to see a lot of minutes played by rookie forward Will Riley, who has arguably been Washington's best player post all-star break.
In 22 games post all-star break, Riley has averaged 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 47% FG, 33.7% 3FG and 81.6% FT. Riley is emerging as one of Washington's best core pieces, and is expected to once again, play 30+ minutes against a tough Philadelphia team.
It's important to note that Washington will likely be without Alex Sarr and Trae Young in this one, so it will open up opportunities for others to get more playing time.
One name to keep an eye out for tonight is guard Jaden Hardy, who has put together a sneakily good campaign in Washington.
In 19 games with Washington, Hardy has averaged 13.2 points a game on 46.4% FG, 43.8% 3FG and 72.4% FT. Hardy has displayed his ability to not only be a knockdown shooter from deep, but a viable scoring option off the bench. It will be interesting to see how Washington handles Hardy heading into next season, as he will compete with Bub Carrington for the back-up guard role.
If Washington can find a way to contain one of Maxey or Embiid tonight, their odds of winning increase. However, they also have to stop George and Edgecombe, which will not be easy in their own right.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM ET at Capital One Arena.