Portland @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 18, 2018 ) Portland 119, Washington 109

The short-handed Washington Wizards found some magic against the Miami Heat on Monday but lost it again on Wednesday, when they celebrated the New Year with their 10th loss in 13 games. The Wizards will try again to find their way into the win column when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Washington was missing five key rotation players, including All-Star guard Bradley Beal, when it turned away the Heat in a stunning 123-105 victory on Monday, but Beal's return could not push it to a second consecutive win and the Wizards were run over 122-101 by the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. "They made stops and they made shots," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "It was only a four-point game at the half, and I thought we didn't play well and we're only down four. So, I thought we were going to be able to come back and generate some energy and have guys fly around like we've done the last couple of games. It just never happened." The Trail Blazers are losers of five in a row and began the five-game road trip with a 117-93 loss at the New York Knicks on Wednesday. "Not how we wanted to start this road trip," Portland guard CJ McCollum told reporters. "We have to take advantage of games, especially against teams who are under .500. That’s the way we can get back to .500 is winning these types of games. We have to try to build and get better for the next game otherwise it's going to be a long road trip."

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Northwest, NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (14-21): Portland was competitive in single-digit losses to New Orleans, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix before falling flat in the road trip opener at the lowly Knicks. "We just got outplayed," Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. "Everything they wanted to do, they did it. They made shots, they got stops, they got foul calls. Whatever they wanted to do, they did it." Lillard had a string of three straight 30-plus outings come to an end when he was held to 11 points on 5-of-20 shooting, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, against the Knicks.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (10-23): The Magic (103.4) are last in the NBA in scoring average but had no trouble tearing through Washington's league-worst scoring defense (121 per game). "Against a team like the Magic, the type of shooters they have and an All-Star (Nikola Vucevic) inside, we did not do a good job tonight," Wizards guard Jordan McRae told reporters. "We were lazy on a lot of our switches. They had a lot of open shots, and to compound that, we did not make shots. That is a recipe to lose the game." Beal (knee) scored 27 points on 8-of-20 shooting in the setback but was riding a stationary bike during breaks and is still not 100 percent.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wizards rookie SG Garrison Mathews followed up a season-high 28 points on Monday with 10 in 17 minutes on Wednesday.

2. Trail Blazers F Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting Wednesday.

3. The road team took the last five in the series, with Portland earning a 119-109 victory in its trip to Washington last season.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 125, Wizards 120