D.C.: Shake it off

🏀Wizards: Despite Russell Westbrook’s best efforts, the Wizards lost a 125–124 heartbreaker to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The Wiz will need to shake it off in tonight’s 7 p.m. ET matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

• Indiana — who beat their last opponent by a whopping 57 (!!!) points — is one spot ahead of the Wiz, at ninth in the Eastern Conference, making tonight a potential play-in tournament preview. Forget popcorn, get your half-smoke ready.

🏒Capitals: The Caps lost twice to the Pittsburgh Penguins — falling in overtime on Thursday before being shut out on Saturday — but still clinched a playoff spot by earning a point on Thursday (overtime loss) and the New York Rangers losing in regulation. Considering captain Alex Ovechkin and top defenseman John Carlson missed both contests with lower-body injuries, we’ll take it.

• With the losses, the Caps have relinquished the East Division lead to those detested Pens and have just five games left to claim the East crown, starting with tonight’s 7 p.m. ET matchup against the aforementioned Rangers. Here we go.

⚾️Nationals: The Caps’ rally helmet is proving to be good luck for the Nats. Our baseball boys swept Kim Ng’s (pronounced ANG) Miami Marlins over the weekend, with Nat ace Max Scherzer pitching a complete game yesterday to lift the Nats to a tie for the National League (NL) East lead...and then head straight to the hospital for the birth of his third child. All in a day’s work.