Charlotte Bobcats vs Washington Wizards game preview

All right. So, the Bobcats' last game against the Magic didn't go so well, but they still sit four games ahead of Atlanta in the standings. However, directly above them is their opponent for the night: the Washington Wizards. Washington holds a three game lead over the Bobcats with less than 10 games to go, so tonight is a big deal. Losing on the road to Orlando is forgivable, it happens, but with such a narrow amount of time remaining to improve their playoff standings, tonight's game takes on a critical feel.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that the Wizards had lost four of five with their lone win coming against the Lakers, and possibly skidding at the wrong time. Since then, Washington has two consecutive wins against the Pacers and Hawks to rebuild their confidence. Yet, this is their first road game in eight days against a Bobcats team seeking redemption.

While their backcourt dynamic of John Wall and Bradley Beal can be exciting, the Wizards' frontcourt has helped them to the eighth best defensive rebounding percentage in league and they also love forcing turnovers. However, the Bobcats, the number one team in turnover percentage, avoid mistakes in part because they don't try to play at a ridiculous pace. Secondly, the Bobcats are the number one defensive rebounding team in the league, so the team that boxes out the best to either prevent or grab those extra possessions and makes best use of them should have the advantage.

With all of this in mind, tonight should be a good one. Up to this point, each team has stolen a game on the road, and they will meet one more time after tonight. Still, this is an excellent opportunity at home to try to move one game closer to the better seed and a more advantageous matchup.