Bradley Beal urges caution amid Wizards' winning streak

Don't look now but the Washington Wizards have managed to get back into the playoff mix thanks to a five-game winning streak that includes Monday night's overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Bradley Beal acknowledged that the recent turnaround has felt "different in a great way" but said that he was not going to begin celebrating quite yet.

"Different. It feels different," Beal said when asked how the winning streak feels. "It feels different in a great way. ... At the same time, we still haven't done a damn thing."

It makes sense that Beal would not want him or his teammates to get ahead of themselves, as the 11-17 Wizards still have one of the five worst records in the NBA. But considering that the Wizards looked like they were headed straight to the draft lottery, the fact that they are now only two games behind the Chicago Bulls for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference is impressive.

Beal has continued to lead the league in scoring, averaging nearly 33 points per game and earning himself a starting spot at the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. If the Wizards are able to make a playoff push, the 27-year-old would deserve credit for not giving up on the team, as he refused to entertain trade rumors despite their slow start to the season.