NBA | Washington vs Atlanta | 1 March, 8:30 AM (PST)

[Mary C]

 

Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks 

When the Atlanta Hawks play the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, Quin Snyder will make his managerial debut. Nate McMillan, who was let go during the All-Star break, is replaced by Snyder. The Hawks won two straight games under interim coach Joe Prunty, including a thrilling 129-127 victory over Brooklyn on Sunday. The eight years Snyder spent on the bench in Utah from 2014 to 22 are what made him most famous. He recently signed a five-year contract with Atlanta. He led the Jazz to the postseason in six consecutive campaigns, and the team's 52-20 record in the 2020–21 season was the best in the NBA. 

Quin had every quality we were looking for in our head coach from the very beginning, according to Atlanta general manager Landry Fields. "We share core values and basketball philosophies of having honest communication and collaboration with players, incredible attention to detail, and placing a great emphasis on player development," I said. "He has both an incredible basketball and emotional IQ." 

How well Snyder gets along with Atlanta's Trae Young, who frequently argued with McMillan, may be the deciding factor. Young is one of the league's most dynamic offensive players, averaging 27.0 points and 10.2 assists despite his defensive shortcomings. On Sunday, he made the game-winning basket with seconds left to defeat the Nets. Atlanta's future, according to Dejounte Murray, depends on the players. He declared, "We have no control over what the front office does. We'll keep working and try to accumulate as many victories as we can. 

Since the All-Star Game, the Wizards have suffered two straight losses. Washington just suffered a 102-82 defeat at the hands of Chicago. Both Kristaps Porzingis (left knee discomfort) and Monte Morris (late scratch; lower back discomfort) were absent from the Wizards' lineup. "We have to do a better job of screening guys up," Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. "Those (16) turnovers were costly. Those are empty possessions for us and lead to some transition opportunities for them. We have to do a better job of that, fighting force with force." 

Delon Wright, a guard for the Washington Wizards, said, "We just have to regroup and bring more effort and more focus." Bradley Beal, who averages 22.7 points and 5.3 assists for the Wizards, is their star player. His field goal percentage of 51.5 percent is a career high. Beal has faced Atlanta 30 times in his career, scoring 21.3 points, grabbing 4.2 rebounds, and dishing out 3.9 assists. This will be the first of four meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals over the next six weeks due to an odd scheduling arrangement. The Hawks won the series 3-1 the previous year, making it a back-to-back victory. Washington hasn't won in Atlanta since December 5, 2018, where the Hawk has won the last six meetings. 

Both teams have a long way to go before they can finish in the top six in the Eastern Conference, even though they are currently in the play-in round of the playoffs. Eighth-ranked Atlanta was 2 1/2 games back of sixth-place New York as of Monday. The Wizards are 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta and only have a half-game lead over Chicago, who is ranked No. 10.