Wizards-Bobcats Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN

(AP) -- The Washington Wizards are the NBA's last remaining team without a road win this season.

Visiting the scuffling Charlotte Bobcats could help change that.

In a meeting of the two teams with the worst records in the league, the Wizards try again for their first road victory Saturday night against a Bobcats team hoping to avoid losing eight straight for the first time in almost five years.

Washington (3-16) is one-half game ahead of NBA-worst Charlotte (3-17), thanks to a 92-75 home win over the Bobcats on Wednesday in coach Randy Wittman's first game since replacing Flip Saunders. The Wizards failed to carry over any momentum into the weekend, falling 103-76 at Houston on Friday.

Washington, which led the Rockets by as many as eight points early on, shot just 36.4 percent and committed a season-worst 24 turnovers.

"I think we get tired and we lose our concentration and we throw the ball all over the gym," Wittman said. "For 30 minutes, we played hard, smart, for the most part, we got after it. The bad thing about that is that it's a 48-minute game."

Friday's result dropped the Wizards to 0-8 as the visiting team. While the road hasn't been kind to the Wizards, a trip to Charlotte could be just what they need.

The Bobcats saw their struggles continue Friday with an 89-72 defeat at Philadelphia, their 13th loss in 14 games. Frustrations seem to be mounting. With his team trailing by 21 in the second quarter, Bobcats coach Paul Silas received a second technical foul of the night and was ejected.

"I just kind of lost it out there," he said. "I said something I shouldn't have said and then kicked the ball. That won't happen anymore. I can't afford to let that happen. Everyone loses it every now and then, and I did."

The Bobcats, who haven't dropped eight in a row since Feb. 24-March 10, 2007, have been especially bad in their last three games without injured point guard D.J. Augustin (inflamed right big toe). Charlotte has shot just 8 of 35 (22.9 percent) from 3-point range and been outscored by 22.3 points per game with Augustin sidelined.

Averaging 13.6 points and a team-best 6.6 assists, Augustin isn't expected to return until Tuesday at the earliest.

The Bobcats did get leading scorer Gerald Henderson (15.0 ppg) back Friday after he sat out at Washington due to a lower back contusion. However, Henderson was ineffective in the loss to the 76ers, finishing with seven points while shooting 2 of 10 from the field.

Washington's Nick Young, averaging just 11.5 points on the road compared to 19.5 at home, scored 15 against the Rockets but went just 6 of 17 from the floor. John Wall was the only other Wizards player to score in double figures, with 17 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists.

Charlotte had taken five straight in this series at home before falling 97-91 on April 3.

Updated January 28, 2012