San Antonio Spurs vs Washington Wizards: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - April 26th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The San Antonio Spurs visit Capital One Arena to face the Washington Wizards on Monday. Both these teams are currently in the play-in spots of their respective conferences and fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Wizards are looking like one of the most dominant teams in the NBA, having won their last 8 games in a row, the second-longest active win streak in the league.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs face the toughest schedule among all franchises for the remainder of the season, and several analysts have criticized them for not tanking the year. They have little to no chance of grabbing wins in the postseason and should focus on the upcoming draft.
This is the second time these two teams are meeting this season, with the Spurs having won their first encounter by 20 points.
San Antonio Spurs vs Washington Wizards: Injury Report
San Antonio Spurs
A major reason for the San Antonio Spurs' recent success is a predominantly healthy roster while the majority of the league grapples with injuries. Only two players make the injury report against the Washington Wizards. Rudy Gay is questionable for the game due to lower back soreness and Trey Lyles is ruled out due to a sprain in his right ankle.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards received a major blow when their rookie Deni Avdija went down with a season-ending injury against the Golden State Warriors. He was diagnosed with a fibular hairline fracture in his right ankle and is reportedly going to make a full recovery in 12 weeks.
Thomas Bryant continues to be out as he recovers from a torn ACL in his left knee. Second-year forward Rui Hachimura has missed several games this season. He has been ruled out for the last four games and is expected to be out against the San Antonio Spurs as well.
San Antonio Spurs vs Washington Wizards: Predicted Lineups
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs will continue with their usual lineup against the Wizards. Four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan will be the small forward as usual. The young backcourt of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White have been flourishing under coach Gregg Popovich.
Murray will be the starting point guard and White will start as the two-guard. Keldon Johnson will be the power forward like usual and Jakob Poeltl will look to continue his great form as the center. Patty Mills and Lonnie Walker IV will see significant minutes off the bench.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards starting lineup will remain the same from their last game. The star backcourt of Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook continue to impress this season. Westbrook will be the point guard, as usual, he is dropping a triple-double almost every game lately.
Bradley Beal will be the starting shooting guard who is gunning for this season's scoring title. The small forward will be Raul Neto and the power forward will be Anthony Gill. And finally, Alex Len will be the starting center with Robin Lopez coming off the bench. Davis Bertans and Garrison Mathews will continue to see increased minutes off the bench.
San Antonio Spurs vs Washington Wizards: Predicted Starting 5s
San Antonio Spurs
Point Guard - Dejounte Murray | Shooting Guard - Derrick White | Small Forward - DeMar DeRozan | Power Forward - Keldon Johnson | Center - Jakob Poeltl.
Washington Wizards
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - Raul Neto | Power Forward - Anthony Gill | Center - Alex Len.
Also Read: San Antonio Spurs vs Washington Wizards Prediction and Match Preview - April 26th, 2021 | NBA season 2020-21