Preview: Wizards Facing Must-Win Game

The Washington Wizards are back at home to take on the Toronto Raptors.
Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are back at home after a six-game road trip to take on the Toronto Raptors for the first time this season.

The Wizards went winless on their road trip, extending their losing streak to 14 games going into tonight's game against the Raptors.

The fact that the Wizards are at home could be a sign that they may finally snap their losing streak and end up on the winning side of a result for the first time since New Year's Day against the Chicago Bulls.

The Wizards have been the worst road team in the NBA with just one win this season back in October away from Capital One Arena. The Raptors are the second-worst team on the road with just three wins, though they did pick up victories in each of their last two games away from Toronto when they faced off against the Atlanta Hawks last week.

Should the Wizards lose tonight, they will be at 15 straight defeats, one shy of the season and franchise record at 16. With games against the playoff-bound Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves on the horizon, things are looking bleak for the Wizards, making tonight's game a must-win if they want to give themselves the best chance of avoiding the wrong side of history.

Raptors vs. Wizards Information

  • Date, Location: Wednesday, January 29, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Raptors vs. Wizards Injury Report

Washington Wizards

  • SF Saddiq Bey (OUT - torn ACL)
  • PF Marvin Bagley III (OUT - knee)
  • PG Malcolm Brogdon (OUT - foot)

Toronto Raptors

  • PG Immanuel Quickley (QUESTIONABLE - hip)
  • PF Kelly Olynyk (QUESTIONABLE - calf)

Raptors vs. Wizards Projected Starting Lineups

Toronto Raptors

  • PG Davion Mitchell
  • SG Gradey Dick
  • SF RJ Barrett
  • PF Scottie Barnes
  • C Jakob Poeltl

Washington Wizards

  • PG Jordan Poole
  • SG Bilal Coulibaly
  • SF Kyshawn George
  • PF Kyle Kuzma
  • C Alex Sarr

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.