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The Washington Wizards will battle the Brooklyn Nets in Las Vegas in an NBA Summer League 2021 game on Thursday. The Nets have a 1-1 record in the competition, while the Wizards haven't yet opened their account after losing their first match.
On Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 97-91 on Wednesday, with their 2021 draft picks, Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe impressing. Thomas scored nine of his 22 points (joint game-high) in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, while Sharpe had 11 points and eight rebounds.
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The Washington Wizards, meanwhile, lost 89-75 to the Sacramento Kings in their opening game in the Las Vegas Summer League on Tuesday. Caleb Homesley scored a game-high 17 points for the Wizards, who were buried offensively in the third quarter, thanks to a 55% shooting display by the Kings.
Match Details
Fixture - Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.
Date & Time - Thursday, August 12th, 5:00 PM ET (Friday, August 13th, 2:30 AM IST).
Venue - Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV.
Washington Wizards Preview
According to Wizards Summer League head coach Mike Miller, the Washington Wizards are looking to improve on their performance against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. He said:
“We want to learn from these situations,” Miller said after the game. “I think tonight was a good example of that. I think we learned a lot. We’re going to have a chance now to go back and look at this film. We want to see the growth and improvement day-to-day and game-to-game. We have that opportunity. We had to get out there and play. We had to get out and experience these things.”
An improvement on their shooting would be a good start for the Washington Wizards. They shot just 38.2% from the field in their opener despite Homesley making six of his eight field goals and Mason Jones making five of nine.
They also need to work on taking care of the ball when they face the Brooklyn Nets. The Washington Wizards turned possession over 21 times against the Kings, something that cannot happen when they play the Nets on Thursday.
Also Check out: Complete NBA Summer league Schedule 2021
Key Player - Corey Kispert
Corey Kispert struggled in his first game in Las Vegas for the Washington Wizards, making just three of nine from the floor, though he nailed two of five from the three (40%) for eight total points. Considered the best shooter of the 2021 NBA Draft, the Gonzaga product will be counted on to tweak his approach in the next few games.
The distance of the NBA 3-point line is something he has to get accustomed to, but the Washington Wizards rookie should be able to make the adjustment once he has enough games under his belt. Watch out for him against the Brooklyn Nets.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Jordan Goodwin l Shooting Guard - Caleb Homesley l Small Forward - Corey Kispert l Power Forward - Dewan Hernandez l Center - Jay Huff.
Brooklyn Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets putting up 97 points in summer league basketball might make people think they shot the ball well in their second game in Las Vegas. In truth, they shot just 41.9% from the field and only 21.4% from the 3-point range (6 of 28) against the Bucks.
But they made up for their poor field-goal shooting by getting to the line and making 29 of 36 free throws. The Brooklyn Nets also outrebounded the Bucks, 44 to 33, including 18 at the offensive end.
Against the Washington Wizards, the Nets' balanced scoring could go a long way in giving them their second straight victory. Aside from Thomas and Sharpe, Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 15 points, Reggie Perry had 13 and David Duke Jr. contributed ten.
Also Check out: Brooklyn Nets Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
Key Player - Cam Thomas
The 27th pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Cam Thomas is building a pretty solid reputation as a big-time player in the summer league. The Brooklyn Nets guard is currently averaging 20.5 points a game on 12-of-30 shooting from the field. He was confident enough to take one of the biggest shots of the game when he hit a 3-pointer with 1:13 left in the game to give the Nets a five-point lead.
“That’s just what ball players do,” Thomas said. “It’s crunch time, so I had to make plays for my team to win. I knew it was time for me to turn it up a notch. My teammates know what I do. (The) coach knows what I do.”
The Washington Wizards will have to find a way to stop the Brooklyn Nets freshman, or else they could be on the wrong end of another Thomas explosion.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Brandon Knight l Shooting Guard - Quinndary Weatherspoon l Small Forward - David Duke Jr. l Power Forward - Alize Johnson l Center - Reggie Perry.
Wizards vs Hornets Match Prediction
The presence of experienced players in Brandon Knight, Quinndary Weatherspoon and Alize Johnson gives the Brooklyn Nets a huge advantage over the Washington Wizards. The fact that their rookies are balling during the Summer League makes them the favorite to win almost every game.
But the Washington Wizards will fancy their chances against the Brooklyn Nets. That's because the Nets have conceded an average of 91 points a game, which is quite high in the Summer league. If the Wizards can execute their plays and fix their shooting, this could be a close game.
Nonetheless, expect the Brooklyn Nets to learn from their mistakes and hand the Washington Wizards another loss in Las Vegas.
Where to watch Wizards vs Hornets?
The Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets game will be televised nationally in the USA by ESPN's family of networks along with NBA TV. International viewers can also watch the game live on NBA League Pass.
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