Washington @ Orlando preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 3, 2018 ) Washington 115, Orlando 98

The Washington Wizards go into the final day of the regular season with plenty to play for and could finish as high as sixth in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Orlando Magic. After knocking off Boston 113-101 on Tuesday, the Wizards were in eighth place in the East but with the same record as seventh-place Miami and just a game back of Milwaukee in sixth.

Regardless of where Washington ends up, it was simply pleased to get back into the win column after a four-game slide in which it allowed an average of 113.8 points. "We got into the ball, we got into the pin downs, we got into the passing lanes, we defended. We defended the way we have to going into the playoffs," coach Scott Brooks told reporters Tuesday. The Magic enter the finale a half-game up on Atlanta for the worst record in the East. They suffered a third straight defeat with Monday's 102-86 setback at Milwaukee, committing 20 turnovers and hitting just 5-of-24 3-pointers.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (43-38): Tuesday's win did not come without an issue, as forward Otto Porter Jr. left the game with a calf strain and is not expected to play in the finale. John Wall, who collected his 5,000th career assist in a 29-point, 12-assist effort against the Celtics, is not expected to see any action in the finale as well. Bradley Beal scored 19 points in Tuesday's win and hopes to be on target again against the Magic after shooting 59.5 percent against them through the first three meetings.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (24-57): Nikola Vucevic stuffed the stat sheet in Monday's loss with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 29 solid minutes. The loss dropped Orlando to 16-53 since its 8-4 start and the players can only hope that there was a lesson learned in losing that early momentum. "Complacency. I think that is kind of what happens to a young team with early wins," forward Aaron Gordon - who had six of the team's turnovers at Milwaukee - told the media of the fast start and poor play thereafter.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Washington earns the sixth seed with a win and losses by Milwaukee (at Philadelphia) and Miami (vs. Toronto).

2. Magic C Khem Birch is averaging 11 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.4 minutes over the last five games.

3. The Wizards averaged 123.3 points in winning each of the first three meetings.

PREDICTION: Wizards 114, Magic 106