(My Sportsbook) - Sweeping changes have begun to pay off for the Washington Wizards, who'll be seeking their fourth win in five games when they host the Memphis Grizzlies this evening at the Verizon Center.

The Wizards made three trades prior to last week's deadline and shipped out two of their top players in former All-Stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, but the moves have turned out to be a boost for the previously-struggling club in the short term. Washington has gone 3-1 since dealing Jamison to Cleveland in a three-team, six-player swap on February 17, with all three of those victories taking place on its home court.

Washington opened up a current three-game residency with Monday's 101-95 triumph over Chicago, in which Andray Blatche amassed 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way.

Al Thornton, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Jamison trade, added 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Wizards, with Randy Foye contributing 16 points and nine assists to the win.

"I just feel like we have a group of guys that's on the same mission, that's working hard and winning," said Blatche, who has averaged an outstanding 25.0 points and 10.3 rebounds in four games since replacing the departed Brendan Haywood as the team's starting center. Haywood was sent to Dallas along with Butler and guard DeShawn Stevenson on February 13 in exchange for swingman Josh Howard and three others.

Howard didn't get much of an opportunity to make an impression on his new teammates, as the one-time All-Star suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee in the first quarter of Monday's win.

The new-look Wizards will be out to stop a three-game losing streak in this series and avenge a 116-111 overtime defeat to the Grizzlies in Memphis on December 28. Washington has dropped seven of its last nine meetings with the Grizzlies.

Memphis comes in off a tough one-point home loss to the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Returning from a five-game absence due to an injured ankle, Kobe Bryant poured in 32 points and hit a go-ahead three- pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining to lift Los Angeles to a 99-98 decision.

The Grizzlies owned a 96-92 edge with 2:07 left to play, but a technical foul on Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins helped swing the momentum in favor of the Lakers. Bryant made the bonus free throw to cut the deficit to three, then tied the contest at 96-96 with a trey from the top of the arc with 54 seconds on the clock.

A Rudy Gay basket with 37.9 seconds to go put Memphis back up by two, but the Grizzlies failed to build on the lead when O.J. Mayo missed two crucial foul shots with 18.8 seconds left. Bryant made them pay by drilling the winning shot on the ensuing possession.

"The technical was not the play that won or lost the game," said Hollins, who was penalized for arguing an offensive foul called on center Marc Gasol. "I was upset at Marc for setting an illegal screen. I hit the table, and he called a technical. Kobe hitting a couple of big shots was the game coming down the stretch. That was the game."

Mayo finished with 25 points in the loss, the seventh in nine games for Memphis, while Zach Randolph compiled 20 points and 14 rebounds.

The Grizzlies, who have fallen 3 1/2 games back for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with their recent slide, are just 10-17 on the road this season but have won their last two tests as the visitor.