Fresh off a 103-94 win in Orlando, the 4-3 Wizards are home for the first of two meetings with Atlanta in three days. It's Trae Young's first game ever against the Hawks. Alex Sarr (left knee) is questionable after sitting Monday, and Bilal Coulibaly (illness) was added as questionable today; Atlanta's Jalen Johnson (left ankle) is questionable too.
Washington shot 53% and handed Orlando a fourth straight home loss. Young scored 10 points in a 13-2 run after the Magic led by nine early in the second quarter, and an 8-0 burst made it 79-68 after three (AP recap). The Wizards did it without Sarr, who had started their first six games at center.
With Sarr out, Anthony Davis went 12 of 17 for 27 points with nine rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes, per the ESPN box score. (The AP recap lists 29 points and eight rebounds; we're using the box score.) Kyshawn George added 22 on 9-of-15 with four 3s.
AJ Dybantsa scored 21 (7 of 17, 6 of 6 at the line) with three steals in his third NBA game (box score). Greg Finberg says opponents are shooting 35.1% overall and 16.7% from three, with six turnovers, when Dybantsa guards them (post).
Atlanta (4-4, 3-2 on the road) won 108-104 at Indiana on Monday against a Pacers team down to six players. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 34, and Onyeka Okongwu's jumper with 10.2 seconds left sealed it (AP recap). Alexander-Walker leads Atlanta at 21.1 points; Jalen Johnson leads in rebounds (9.0) and assists (7.9) but is questionable with a left ankle sprain (ESPN).
"Trae Young faces off AGAINST the Atlanta Hawks for the first time in his career" (@SleeperWizards). He's averaging 10.0 assists (ESPN), and Chase Hughes notes he has the lowest usage rate of his career so far (post). Bilal Coulibaly credits Young for finding him on cuts (Bijan Todd).
| Team | Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAS | Alex Sarr | QUESTIONABLE | Left knee soreness (missed Monday) |
| WAS | Bilal Coulibaly | QUESTIONABLE | Illness (added Wednesday) |
| WAS | Anthony Gill | QUESTIONABLE | Low back spasms (missed Monday) |
| WAS | Reece Beekman | OUT | Right AC joint injury |
| WAS | Justin Champagnie | OUT | Right foot surgery |
| WAS | Tristan Vukčević | OUT | Left hip impingement |
| WAS | Jamir Watkins | OUT | Left ACL repair/surgery |
| ATL | Jalen Johnson | QUESTIONABLE | Left ankle sprain |
| ATL | Jock Landale | OUT | Left hip strain |
| ATL | Mouhamed Gueye | OUT | Left foot fracture |
| ATL | Henri Veesaar | OUT | Right ACL tear |
| ATL | RayJ Dennis | OUT | G League, two-way |
| ATL | Keshon Gilbert | OUT | G League, two-way |
| ATL | Jalen Wilson | OUT | G League, two-way |
Washington had 21 fast-break points to Orlando's 9 on Monday and turned 10 steals into chances (box score). Make it a track meet at home.
Young's usage is down and his assists are up (Chase Hughes). Against his old team, the job is running the offense, not proving a point.
NAW scored 34 Monday and leads Atlanta in scoring. If Johnson can't go, he's the Hawks' engine; a Dybantsa assignment is one option, given the numbers Finberg cites (post).
If Sarr sits again, Davis and Deandre Ayton carry the frontcourt, as they did in Orlando. Atlanta is also thin up front, with Jock Landale and Mouhamed Gueye out (injury report).
Trae vs. his old team. It's his first game against Atlanta (@SleeperWizards). He had 15 and 9 in Orlando (box score).
Washington's engine. Davis leads the Wizards at 23.0 points and 9.1 rebounds (ESPN). 106.7 The Fan's take: "The Wizards have made strides on defense, and AJ Dybantsa is a big reason why" (post).
Bilal Coulibaly has popped up as QUESTIONABLE for the Wizards tonight vs. Atlanta with an ‘Illness’ designation.
Alex Sarr is also listed as questionable, remember.
Reduce wide-open 3-point looks: No team has allowed more wide-open 3-point attempts per game this season than the Wizards have, at 21.6 per game, according to @nbastats. And yet no team has allowed a lower percentage on wide-open 3s than the Wizards have, at 27.8 percent.
AJ Dybantsa’s offense is elite. But his defense has been even better.
Opponents are shooting just 35.1% FG and 16.7% 3PT with 6 turnovers when guarded by Dybantsa.
the Washington Wizards have moved up to 16th in @ESPN’s NBA power rankings 📈
NEW episode of Off the Bench goes behind the scenes of A.J. Dybantsa's first week of NBA games
📻Today on Grant & Danny📻 … 🏀 Wizards Looking for Three in a Row
📣 The Wizards' tune-in post: "Live from The District 📺 ⏰ 7:00 p.m. ET 📺 @monsportsnet 📻 @1067thefan & Wizards App" (@WashWizards). Robbins' other keys: protect the ball (Atlanta has scored 19.1% of its points off turnovers, fifth-highest) and exploit the height mismatch (post). 106.7 The Fan's other posts today were mostly about the Commanders.
Atlanta is a 3.5-point road favorite, but the Wizards have won two straight, are 2-1 at home and just won in Orlando without Sarr. The Hawks needed a late jumper to beat a six-man Pacers team, and Jalen Johnson's ankle is a question mark.
Our gut: Wizards win outright, so they cover the +3.5 (Hawks −3.5, DraftKings via ESPN, 4 PM ET snapshot). Pure vibes; there's no model behind it.
📚 Previous issues: Mon Nov 2: Wizards at Magic · Fri Oct 30: Hornets at Wizards · Wed Oct 28: Wizards at Cavaliers · Mon Oct 26: Wizards at Hornets · Sat Oct 24: Wizards at Bulls · Fri Oct 23: Raptors at Wizards