NBA: Washington Wizards Blog

2008-11-26T12:27:00.001-05:00

Wizards to head coach Eddie Jordan: You're fired. Ed Tapscott is the interim coach, and you can get all the details here.

2008-10-30T13:45:00.000-04:00

Wave the wizard wand and get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th!

2008-10-16T16:16:00.001-04:00

Wizards tickets are on sale now--I found mine here.

Michael Jordan

2008-07-24T12:58:00.002-04:00

Will people ever get sick of making Michael Jordan tribute videos?

Probably not as long as we keep watching them, right?

Back on the court after Katrina

2008-02-25T16:08:00.001-05:00

This story about Antawn Jamison is a touching one, about the importance of him playing back in New Orleans after Katrina, considering he grew up close by. I'm happy to see major sports figures helping to keep events like this fresh in the minds of the fans even years later, because they are all too easily forgotten.

Andray Blatche arrested!

2007-08-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

What is with these rich, famous players getting arrested? Wizards forward Andray Blatche was arrested yesterday for soliciting sex! Like this guy needs to pay for sex! I thought girls flocked to the locker room after NBA games. Maybe despite his skills on the court, this guy's got no game!

Arenas makes 2nd Team

2007-05-11T12:32:00.000-04:00

Gilbert Arenas was named to the All-NBA Second Team, his third consecutive season to receive the honor. The only other player in franchise history to do so was Elvin Hayes from 72-73 to 76-77. Way to go Gilbert!

Wizards face Nets tonight

2007-04-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

The Nets and the Wizards will get a second chance at Verizon tonight, after a weekend spent adding another loss to NJ's streak. The Wizards are just one win away from their third straight playoff advancement. They'll need the momentum of that victory once they get it.

Are you sleeping?

2007-03-09T16:15:00.000-05:00

The Seahawks were served up on a silver platter! Tenderized by a 6 game lossing streak, the Seahawks require very little chewing. What went wrong? Hope this is a wake up call when the Knicks come knocking.

Wizards vs. Knicks (again!)

2007-01-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

Will the Washington Wizards achieve their 9th straight win at the Verizon Center tonight against the Knicks? Tonight is the 3rd or 4 games between the two teams--don't call me tonight, I'll be watching the game.

We won, holy **** we won

2006-12-17T02:16:00.000-05:00

Now here's the news that kicks me out of a dry posting streak - the Washington Wizards have at last broken a 16-game losing streak against the Miami Heat! 106-95... what beautiful numbers.

I'm ignoring the fact that Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal weren't playing on Friday night. A win is a win is a win, and this one means that streak is DONE. Good job, guys!

The Washington whoozits?

2006-12-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

From the "Hmm, isn't that interesting" files:

"The team now known as the Washington Wizards started as the Chicago Packers in the 1961-62 season. The next season, they changed their name to the Zephyrs. And the season after that, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland and became the Baltimore Bullets, no relation to the 1940s-50s Bullets franchise, in their first year there they finished 4th in a 5-team Western Division."

Is there a title given out for teams with the most name changes? Always cool to see what you can find on wikipedia.

Learning a different finish

2006-11-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

Gilbert Arenas had an insightful comment following the Wizards' season opening loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was thinking back, no doubt, to the playoff series last season where three of the games we played with the Cavs went down to the wire and were settled by one point. Not in the Wizards' favor. Arenas said, "You'd think we'd learn from our mistakes. We have to learn how to finish these games."

The part we did right was fighting back, even when Cleveland was looking pretty secure with an eight-point lead well into the 4th quarter. We proceeded to score 10 points to their two, including the free throws by Antonio Daniels that tied the score at 86. Then Le Bron James and Arenas traded long shots, tying it again at 89.

But the final outcome was 97-94. If the Wizards can come that close, we can go the rest of the way. But we have to believe it to do it.

Nice Story About Washington Wizards' Nice Guy

2006-10-27T13:37:00.000-04:00

Lots of Wizards fans already knew it, but MSNBC has an article online that can let the rest of the world in on Washington's own Coach Eddie Jordan. Here's a link:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15434498/

and you can read about how his wife and kids are always courtside at the Verizon Center and all that. But the parts that impress me are about how Jordan relates to the players. He doesn't believe in screaming and freaking out like so many coaches.

The article does mention that Jordan does have occasional clashes, notably with center Brendan Haywood. But even that is not some mindless feud; as Jordan says, "We're working on it." From most of the team, though, including Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards have "a players' coach."

Bummer

2006-10-15T20:58:00.000-04:00

My friend just got to Honolulu yesterday for a week vacation, and today they had that big earthquake. Luckily she wasn't hurt at all, but what a bummer for your big trip of the year. I mean, she just passed through hurricane season safely. Who expects an earthquake there?

5 years ago my friends were there for their honeymoon, on Sept. 8th...right before 9/11. They were scared to fly home. I'm kinda thinking I'll stay away from the islands.

Anyway, glad to know you're safe, Holly!

Antonio and his entourage give back

2006-10-05T11:32:00.000-04:00

Washington Wizards newcomer Antonio Daniels is on a mission. Daniels established Antonio’s Entourage to continue his efforts in community outreach. The idea is to give tickets to members of the community who might not have a chance to attend a Wizards game. Kudos to Antonio!!!

recruitment

2006-10-02T19:32:00.000-04:00

Back in September, Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced the signing of Mike Hall, James Lang, Roger Mason Jr., and Kevinn Pinkney. This is all indicative of an effort to recruit well-rounded players who will be very versatile on the court and contribute to a more competitive team. Forward Hall comes to us from George Washington University after playing with the Denver Nuggets in the Vegas Summer league this year. Lang, a center, was the New Orleans Hornets’ second round draft pick in 2003.

Are you blind ref?

2006-07-10T14:00:00.000-04:00

The NBA Playoffs may have been plagued with accusations of bad refereeing and even further debacles over the appropriateness of such accusations against the NBA from managers and owners, yet this seems all the more normal given the events of this summer. The soccer World Cup has also descended into squabbles over decision making and questionable foul calls which affected pretty much every game.

I recommend video replays and some nice herbal tea.

He did travel. It’s the truth.

2006-05-28T16:08:00.000-04:00

Eddie Jordan, coach of the Washington Wizards, was fined for his criticism of the officiating in their games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round NBA Playoffs. The fine was twenty five thousand for what he said after the Wizards game three loss. He claimed that LeBron James traveled in the process of making the game winning basket. Jordan defended his comments the following day saying his team did a lot of things to win the game and deserved to know it was a lack of officiating that lost them the game and not poor performance.

I saw the travel and back him up one hundred percent for his comments. I have not seen one game in the entire NBA Playoffs this year where I thought the officiating was fair and balanced. I think there needs to be a big shakedown after these games are reviewed and some referees need to be fined for all the missed and bad calls in every series thus far.

Cavs smash and grab.

2006-04-30T15:15:00.000-04:00

The Washington Wizards were robbed by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. The 96-97 Wizards loss was a very close game. LeBron James of the Cavs scored a record 41 points and sunk a basket with five seconds left leading his team to the win. The Wizards are going to have to find an answer to the LeBron issue before he single-handedly takes us out of the playoffs.

Arenas Makes the Connections

2006-04-05T00:51:00.000-04:00

The Washington Wizards pulled off an impressive victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday and followed it up with a win over the New York Knicks tonight. Gilbert Arenas tore it up tonight with 13 assists, 11 of which were in the first quarter of the game

Go Wizards! Beat Mavs!

2006-03-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

Dirk Nowitzki and the unstoppable Dallas Mavericks are headed for Washington tonight and our boys are getting ready for an intense battle that they have a good chance of winning. The Washington Wizards beat the Detroit Pistons just a few days ago. With weapons like Antawn Jamison and Antonio Davis, we are more than capable of shutting down the Mavericks tireless offense.

Home Sweet Home

2006-02-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

Beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday gave Washington a 5-game win streak, and it's our 7th home-game victory in a row. The snow made it a struggle for the folks with Wizards tickets to get there, and the customers who couldn't have the option to switch Sunday's tickets to the February 21st game with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the 20,000 fans that made it saw what our tight-knit team could do, even against talent like Alan Iverson and Chris Webber.

A Debate for the Ages

2005-06-07T20:35:00.000-04:00

A debate that will probably continue for ages to come has just crossed my mind.

Here is the question.

Who is better Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlin?

Now before anyone decides to answer this question, one should take time to think about it. To think about all the factors that comes into play, consider it was two different eras and two different styles of play. It is almost like comparing Joe Montana to Brett Favre.

So what do you all think?

Prom Night for Dixon

2005-05-31T18:49:00.000-04:00

- from the official site of the Washington Wizards

Wizards guard Juan Dixon recently followed through on a promise he made earlier in the season by escorting Ms. Britnee Gails to Archbishop Carroll High School's senior prom. The Wizards and Juan first met Britnee when they invited the Gails family to MCI Center this past winter after the senseless death of her father Robert.

Antawn Jamison

2005-05-29T15:42:00.000-04:00

Antawn Jamison just underwent arthroscopic surgery for excessive scar tissue in his right knee. The surgery went successfully and Jamison should recover from it with flying colors. Jamison has been one of the leading forces for the Wizards throughout this season. Making first All-Star selection in 2004-05, Jamison was averaging 19.6 points. Jamison made a major impact in helping the Wizards get further than they have been in a Playoff run in approximately 20 years.

High School Drafting

2005-05-24T18:39:00.000-04:00

More and more, students right out of high school are beginning to register for the draft. Sometimes this works, such is the case for Kobe Bryant, but not always. To look at someone who has been raging throughout high school does not mean that they will be ready to enter into the pros. Until a few years ago, drafting high school players was unheard of.

But, we do have our success stories. Elton Brand was traded by the Bulls for Tyson Chandler who was drafted right out of Dominguez High School. Eddy Curry came to the NBA straight out of High School as well. Our own Kwame Brown, who came from Glynn Academy, was the first overall pick the year he was drafted.

I still believe that college ball gives the player an opportunity to hone their skills, but not all gifted athletes have the opportunity to go to college. There are other methods to showcase your skills. High School players can come to a team and take time to develop into a good player; usually taking like 2 to 3 years before their true colors show.

Grunfeld Discusses Wizards

2005-05-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

- from the official site of the Washington Wizards

Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld met with members of the local media Tuesday afternoon to discuss this past season and the team's priorities this summer. Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan and the players spoke with the media Monday afternoon.

Larry Hughes

2005-05-15T17:35:00.000-04:00

Larry Hughes was named the NBA All-Defensive First Team. This makes him the eighth person in the Wizard’s franchise history to be awarded this honor. He was able to average 2.89 steals per game, which tops both Scottie Pippen and Gary Payton.

“This is a well deserved honor for Larry. Larry has been our defensive leader all season, and has played at an All-Star caliber level on both ends of the floor. He enjoys playing defense and has committed himself to improving on the defensive side of the ball.”
- Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan

Eastern Conference: Miami at Washington

2005-05-12T19:19:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

The Heat will attempt to keep their perfect postseason record intact as they travel to the nation's capital for Game 3 of this best-of-7 playoff series. Tuesday's 108-102 victory at home over the Wizards was Miami's sixth straight to start the postseason. However, the Heat fell shy of covering the 12-point spread, just the second time they've failed to beat the number in the playoffs.

The combined 210 points squeaked over the total of 205, the first time in five meetings that these two teams have exceeded the posted number.

The Heat have won the last 10 meetings, going 8-1-1 ATS in that stretch.

Washington is now 4-4 both SU and ATS in the playoffs, but is just 6-13 against the oddsmakers in its last 19 games overall.

One of the reasons Washington was able to stay within the spread in Game 2 was because of sloppy play by the Heat, who committed 20 turnovers and missed 18 of 40 free throws. Surprisingly, despite the presence of Shaquille O'Neal down low, Washington won the rebounding battle 42-40, including 18-7 on the offensive glass.

With O'Neal battling a nagging thigh injury that's caused a dip in his production, Miami has turned to Dwayne Wade, and the star guard hasn't disappointed. He poured in a team-high 31 points in Game 2 to go along with 15 assists and seven rebounds. Wade is averaging 26 points and 9.5 assists in the playoffs.

After averaging nearly 23 points and more than 10 rebounds in the regular season, O'Neal has managed slightly more than 18 points and eight boards in the playoffs.

Despite a sore right knee, Washington's Antawn Jamison led all scorers in Game 2 with 32 points. Gilbert Arenas chipped in with 28.

The Wizards are 4-2 ATS in their last six on their home floor. The Heat have failed to cover the number in eight of their last 11 trips away from South Beach.

Miami has topped the century mark in points six of the last seven meetings. The only time the Heat failed to hit triple digits, they scored 98.

Washington is allowing 103.5 in the second season, which ranks 12th out of 16 teams.

The Heat have gone over the total in five of six postseason games. And for the year, Miami has tended to play high-scoring affairs on the road, going 26-16 over the posted price outside of South Beach.

The Wizards are 5-2-1 over in the playoffs, and they're 5-2 over in their last seven at home.

The Wizards, already without the services of suspended big man Kwame Brown, likely won't have Etan Thomas (abdominal strain) to check Shaq.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER

Washington at Advantage

2005-05-06T18:53:00.000-04:00

With the 112-110 win over the Chicago Bulls, the Washington Wizards are one step close to advancing to the next round. As of now, Washington has a 3-2 lead over Chicago in the Plaoyoff run. So, what will happen during Game 6?

In game 5, Gilbert Arenas was able to put down a buzzer beater shot to close off the game with the slight marginal difference of 2 points. The Bulls were able to tie it up with 5.2 seconds left to play, but this did not stop Arenas.

Arenas ended the game with 16 points. Larry Hughes racked in a Playoff-best scoring a total of 33 points. Antawn Jamison was able to put in 19 points.

2-2

2005-05-03T18:17:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

Led by the inspired play of Juan Dixon, the Wizards raced out of the gates and never looked back, defeating the visiting Bulls 106-99 in Game 4 on Monday. Dixon came off the bench to score a career-high 35 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Gilbert Arenas added 23 points and Antawn Jamison pitched in with 18 on the night. The teams travel to Chicago for Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET (TNT).

WASHINGTON at CHICAGO

2005-04-28T13:43:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

Washington is on slides of 0-3 straight-up and 0-4 versus the spread following Sunday's 103-94 loss at Chicago in Game 1. The Wizards trailed late only 96-94, but then went scoreless the final 3:18 of the game.

Washington is 4-8 straight-up and 2-10 against the number in its last dozen contests.

The Wizards are on spread slides of 7-15 on the road at 1-4 at Chicago. But, they have won straight-up 11 of their last 16 versus the Bulls.

Washington has sailed over in seven of its last eight overall and in six of its last eight away from home.

Chicago is 16-4 straight-up and 15-3-2 against the number in its last 20 games after Sunday's victory. Forward Andres Nocioni, who averaged only 8.4 points per game in the regular season, poured in 25 points and pulled down a rookie playoff record 18 rebounds on the series' opener.

The Bulls have won and covered three straight at home versus Washington. They're 2-2 straight-up and 3-1 against the number versus the Wizards this year.

The Bulls are on an 8-1-1 home spread run, but are only 3-7 against the number playing on two days rest this year.

Chicago has stayed under in 13 of its last 20 at the United Center and in five of its last six versus Washington.

ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO

Close Call for Washington

2005-04-17T17:28:00.000-04:00

The Wizards held onto the victory by the hair of their teeth. In their most recent win over the Bobcats (106-104), Antawn Jamison put in the final basket with 1.3 seconds left to go. Gilbert Arenas also had a very prolific game with 27 points. Larry Hughes landed 28.

Charlotte was playing very well for being short-handed. Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec were both sitting out due to injuries.

Playoff Berth

2005-04-14T14:42:00.000-04:00

The Washington Wizards are in a Playoff position, but will they be able to push forward. The Wizards finally clinched their Playoff berth with their most recent win over the Chicago Bulls. The ending score was 93-82.

"Now we get the opportunity to really shine in the postseason. We've come a long way from last year and it feels good as a team."
- Larry Hughes

This makes the first time in years that Washington has made it this far. The team is very well-rounded, but is it able to go further? (Please add your comments)

It looks like Washington will be taking on Boston for the first round of cuts.

Washington/Philadelphia Preview

2005-04-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

Philadelphia has won three straight, but is on a 1-5 spread slide after failing to cover the 6½-point number in last night's 103-98 home win over the Cavaliers.

The Sixers have failed to win or cover in their last two visits to Washington.

Philadelphia has stayed under in eight of its last 11 overall.

Sixers forward Chris Webber, out the past four games, is expected to remain sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Washington has failed to win or cover in four consecutive games with Friday's 10-point loss at Indiana. The Wizards have also failed to cash the Vegas ticket in four straight at home.

The Wizards, though, have won and covered three straight in this series.
Six of the last seven meetings have sailed over the posted price.

The Latest

2005-04-05T20:04:00.000-04:00

More Playoffs berths have been clinched, but not in the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference already has the top four set. Currently it looks as it has for a while; Phoenix and San Antonio are most likely going all the way.

The Wizards are still under the Bulls and holding a firm grasp on the fifth spot. Both hold records of 41-31 and only about 7 or 8 games remain.

Other Wizard news includes the reactivation of Antawn Jamison. Anthony Peeler, on the other hand, has been put out for a while with right knee tendonitis.

Keep Atlanta’s Losing Streak Going

2005-03-31T14:31:00.000-05:00

In a scoring game of 102-99, the Washington Wizards lightly took the upper-hand in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards, who are 4th in Eastern Conference standings, have a record of 40-30 right now and are sitting solidly second in their division. This keeps them one game over the Chicago Bulls.

Atlanta, on the other hand, has a culminating streak of 10 losses and it’s stacking up. It’s like they have given up completely.

Gilbert Arenas put in a big portion of his 36 points in the third quarter. He landed a decisive lay up to with only 34 seconds remaining to grasp the final lead.

"We have to win the home games. All teams who call themselves playoff teams win their home games and steal some on the road. We have played well at home. When you don't win the home games, you make it a tough season."
- Larry Hughes

Wizards/Jazz Preview

2005-03-24T16:34:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

STANDINGS: Wizards - 2nd place, 14 GB, Southeast Division. Jazz - 5th place, 25{ GB, Northwest Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Wizards - F Jared Jeffries, F Brown, C Brendan Haywood, G Arenas, G Hughes. Jazz - F Matt Harpring, F Okur, C Ben Handlogten, G Keith McLeod, G Giricek.

TEAM LEADERS: Wizards - Arenas, 25.4 ppg and 5.2 apg; Jamison, 7.8 rpg. Jazz - Boozer, 17.8 ppg and 9 rpg; McLeod, 4.7 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Wizards, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: March 19; Wizards, 96-95. At Washington, Arenas made two free throws with 2.3 seconds left for the Wizards.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Wizards - 12-20 on the road; Jazz - 14-18 at home.

INJURIES: Wizards - F Jamison (knee); F Jarvis Hayes (knee); C Peter Ramos (foot); G Dixon (ankle). Jazz - C Jarron Collins (shoulder); F Boozer (foot); G Raul Lopez (knee); G Bell (leg).

Washington Win

2005-03-20T15:16:00.000-05:00

In an unbelievably close game, the Washington Wizards won over the Utah Jazz with an ending score of 96-95. Gilbert Arenas scored all 22 of his points in the second half to give an immense push for the Wizards. In the last seconds, it became a vicious battle for 2-point increments in order to have the lead.

Both teams were playing pretty solidly. When it came down to the wire, it was just all about who could put it in or get the foul. Washington was also shooting for 50 percent from the arc, which did not hurt them at all.

"I was just trying to be solid out there, play good solid defense and knock down those open shots. We have some great scorers on this team, and because of that we know that they're going to get us some open looks. I have a responsibility to make those shots."
- Steve Blake

Wizards-Celtics Preview

2005-03-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

Boston has won five of the last seven meetings with Washington, including three straight at home.

STANDINGS: Wizards - 2nd place, 12{ GB, Southeast Division. Celtics - 1st place, Atlantic Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Wizards - F Kwame Brown, F Jared Jeffries, C Brendan Haywood, G Arenas, G Hughes. Celtics - F Walker, F Pierce, C Raef LaFrentz, G Gary Payton, G Tony Allen.

TEAM LEADERS: Wizards - Arenas, 25.4 ppg and 5.2 apg; Jamison, 8 rpg. Celtics - Pierce, 21.9 ppg; Walker, 9.3 rpg; Payton, 6 apg.

SEASON SERIES: 1-1.

LAST MEETING: Dec. 31; Celtics, 108-103. At Boston, Pierce scored seven of his 26 points in the final six minutes and Payton added 18 points for the Celtics. Hughes made all six of his 3-point attempts and matched a season high with 33 points.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Wizards - 11-17 on the road; Celtics - 23-10 at home.

INJURIES: Wizards - F Jamison (knee); F-C Etan Thomas (flu); F Jarvis Hayes (knee); C Peter John Ramos (foot); F Samaki Walker (back). Celtics - None.

Wizards seal the Deal

2005-03-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

With seconds left, Laron Profit scored the winning goal to seal the win against the Charlotte Bobcats. The final score came out to 86-84.

"(Charlotte) collapsed and we kicked it out to Juan. He pump-faked and shot it, and when he shot it, I just decided with the time left to try and get a hand on it, and luckily for us I got a hand on it."
-Laron Profit

The Washington Wizards are keeping their spot in their division (2nd in the Southeast), but Orlando is not trailing far behind.

"Any win is important and certainly winning on the road is always big. I'm glad we got the monkey off our back in a sense. We just have to keep winning and can't look behind."
- Wizards coach Eddie Jordan

Wizards’ magic doesn’t work against the Kings

2005-03-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

Sacramento, with the power of Mobley in the herd, took an extremely small lead with a win of 110-108. This makes the second victory of this sort in a row for Sacramento in this form. In their previous game, the Kings took it away from the 76ers in a score of 101-99.

This was a pretty good match-up on account of both teams being ranked second in their division. Washington is currently fourth overall in the Eastern Conference, with Orlando trailing not too far behind.

High Scorers:

Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards): 43 points, matching a career high
Mike Bibby (Sacramento Kings): 38 points

"I wasn't really trying to top him (Arenas). We won and that's what we came in here to do. He played good, and the good thing is we came out with the win."
- Mike Bibby

Wizards vs. Pistons

2005-02-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

In their most recent game, the Wizards lost to the Pistons 107-86. The problem for the Wizards was that the Pistons were just making all the shots. If they were not shooting, they were setting up for assists. Detroit ended the game with 33 assists of 42 field goals. With an average like that, the ball was being pushed a little hard to the goal and there wasn’t much the Wizards could do.

"We came in and we were battling for a minute. Then they just got out in the open and just took the game over from there."
- Gilbert Arenas

Arenas had a good game, scoring 24 points. But, Detroit held Antawn Jamison to only 14 points, not allowing him to advance as he typically would.

"This defense reminds me of the defense they played pretty much all of last year. You beat one guy and you've got another guy in your face, pulling and scrapping. This is why they have a championship, because of the way they played defense tonight."
- Antawn Jamison

The four game winning streak of the Wizards has come to a crashing halt.

Wizards fall to Magic twice

2005-01-31T17:43:00.000-05:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Steve Francis hit another big basket in the final minute. The Washington Wizards again missed crucial free throws.

Similar scripts gave the Orlando Magic a sweep of their back-to-back games against Southeast Division rival Washington, pulling in the reins of a team that had been one of the hottest in the NBA.

Francis had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in Orlando's 103-97 victory Saturday, following the Magic's 108-101 win in Florida 24 hours earlier.

``We just got a real good butt-kicking for two days,'' said Washington coach Eddie Jordan, reflecting on a sour end to his 50th birthday. ``Maybe we'll fall under the radar a little bit. It was humble pie.''

Francis did a spin move on Juan Dixon and made an off-balance turnaround 14-footer with 24 seconds left to put the Magic ahead for good, his last shot in a 13-for-26 night. In Friday's game, Francis' big basket came with 44 seconds remaining -- after he had missed his first 11 shots.

``He is fearless,'' Orlando coach Johnny Davis said. ``When the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands more often than not. He did it again for us tonight.''

After Francis' basket, Brendan Haywood had a chance to tie with 19 seconds remaining when he drew a foul in a fight for a rebound, but he badly missed both free throws. The Wizards had made their previous 12 from the line before Haywood's attempts, the first of which was an air ball.

``The first one slipped. The second one, just wanted to make it too bad,'' Haywood said. ``Missed it. Wished I'd hit them. It would have helped us out. We've just got to keep going. It's the second game in a row that free throws have cost us.''

On Friday night, Gilbert Arenas was 11-for-11 from the line before missing five of his last seven in the final 2:02, a key factor in Orlando's win.

It wasn't surprising, therefore, to hear Jordan talk about maintaining focus and the ``need to concentrate better'' following Saturday's game, which featured six lead changes in the final 2 1/2 minutes. The Wizards had been riding high -- winning 11 of 13 before Friday and eight straight at home before Saturday -- before the Magic gave them a reality check.

``I didn't think we were overconfident,'' Jordan said. ``But if we were, it was good medicine.''

Arenas led the Wizards with 37 points and has scored 30 or more in six of his last seven games. Antawn Jamison had 18 points, and Dixon scored 10 of his 14 in the fourth quarter.

Grant Hill added 27 points for the Magic, including a free throw that tied the game with 56 seconds remaining. Dwight Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Francis had six of Orlando's 16 turnovers, but he did more than enough to tighten the race between the two teams chasing Miami in the Southeast.

``I think it's more a bigger game for our team,'' Francis said, ``because this is one of the toughest teams in the East this year, and we're right there trying to chase them and be where they are.''

These 2 losses have brought the Magic within 2 games of us, and they are strongly challenging our current division standing. The Magic somehow got the spark they needed, while we were left in the dust . Lets just hope that we can start a new streak, after having 2 streaks ended within the last 6 games. Lets pump it back up Wizards. Go Wizards!

The Wizards are using the Right Potion

2005-01-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

In their most recent game, the Washington Wizards unleashed Juan Dixon to lead the team to a 117-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Dixon, who is a reserve guard, was in for injured Larry Hughes. Dixon made 14 of his 22 attempted points in the fourth quarter, leading the Wizards to this victory.

"I was able to make something happen, gave the team some energy, got the crowd into it, and we finished them off…" – Juan Dixon

Among the injured, Allen Iverson sat out the game with an injured left shoulder; an injury that occurred during the 76ers win over Miami. This made a great impact on the game cutting out one of the powerhouses of the Sixers. Green substituted for this lead scorer and had one of the best games of his career. Green suffered a pretty serious blow to the nose, but did not break it.

7-0 and going strong

2005-01-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

- Rub your eyes and look again at the NBA standings. The Washington Wizards are seven games over .500 -- for the first time since 1985.

``For 19 years, they did everything wrong,'' point guard Gilbert Arenas said at the end of a 5-0 homestand. ``In one year, we're doing everything right.''

Week after week this season, the Wizards have churned out press releases full of statistics pointing out that the team is on its best pace in decades or has reached some sort of milestone not seen since the Reagan administration. Enjoy the numbers while you can, the cynics say, because the other shoe is bound to drop for a seemingly cursed franchise.

But, so far, it hasn't. The Wizards have dispatched Atlanta, New Jersey, Seattle, Minnesota and Portland at home since the start of the year to improve to 20-13. Only Miami and Cleveland have better records in the East, and the nation's capital is no longer in the gimme column when Western Conference teams come to town.

``Washington has Larry Hughes, Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison,'' Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said before Wednesday's 104-100 loss to the Wizards. ``Nothing easy about that.''

The Big Three -- for lack of a better nickname -- are on pace to become the NBA's first trio of teammates to average 20 points each since 1991. Here's another stat, one that requires a deep breath: Hughes is the only player in the league averaging at least 20 points (21.1), five rebounds (6.0), five assists (5.3) and 2.5 steals (2.84).

In fact, Hughes is the runaway leader in total steals with 91, although Allen Iverson -- fourth with 73 -- vowed to make up ground when the two spoke Tuesday night.

``He said he was going to get it -- he was going to catch me,'' Hughes said. ``With him out there, there's always a chance.''

And there's always a chance, too, that the Wizards will stumble and miss the playoffs for the eighth straight year and the 16th time in 17 years. After all, Washington was 26-21 with Michael Jordan going into the All-Star break after beating Sacramento three years ago -- and went 11-24 the rest of the way.

``There's still a lot of room for improvement,'' Jamison said. ``But to come in and play the likes of Seattle, Minnesota, Portland at home and to find a way to get it done, whether it was pretty or not, really shows a lot.''

The true realist is coach Eddie Jordan, who is the first to admit that the Wizards caught a break with a soft early schedule in a mediocre conference. The coach is also concerned about an undersized frontcourt that has played without Kwame Brown for most of the season because of ankle injuries, although Etan Thomas' return this week from an abdominal injury should help.

``We have to build up the wins now for when things get thin later,'' Jordan said. ``We've got to be like squirrels. You've got to harvest your nuts right now.''

On the plus side, Arenas, Hughes and Jamison are longtime good buddies who previously were teammates on the Golden State Warriors and have adopted an one-for-all attitude. Because each is able to take over a game, the team can win when one of them has an off night -- with no egos bruised.

``They're making my job easy,'' Jamison said after a 4-for-17 shooting night against the Trail Blazers. ``One of the Big Three didn't have it going tonight, but the other two found a way to get it done.''

The Big Three are young enough to average 37-plus minutes apiece, and all three played the entire second half against Minnesota. They've repeatedly pulled out victories in the fourth quarter, whether coming from behind or holding off a rally. Portland overcame a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit Wednesday, but Arenas essentially won the game in the final 30 seconds with a layup in traffic and a steal of an inbounds pass.

``It's maturity. It's being familiar with the system we ran last year. It's development over the summer with our assistant coaches,'' said Jordan, who couldn't fully implement his ball-sharing offense during last year's 25-57 season because of injuries. ``It's about a winning attitude. The early season schedule helped us get some momentum and a whole lot of confidence.''

That confidence will get a test in the next few days. After a game Friday at Milwaukee, the Wizards return home with little rest to face Phoenix (31-5) on Saturday. Then there's a trip to Texas for back-to-back games against Southwest Division leaders San Antonio and Dallas.

``It's a fragile season. The schedule is really uphill from here,'' Jordan said. ``We always said there's going to be some tough times out there. Let's see how we handle them.''

Arenas, Hughes, and Jamison have really stepped up this year to make our team, that had been laying in the dumps for years, back into a great team team. Although it has been a while, I can safely say that we will have a good season from this point onward, if those three guys stay in good shape. Lets keep the scores high and the streak alive Wizards!

Wizards fly over the nets

2005-01-05T18:49:00.000-05:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Larry Hughes and the Washington Wizards made sure their final run was an unanswerable one.

Hughes matched his season high with 33 points and the Wizards closed out a 112-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night with an 18-0 spurt.

``It was just a game of spurts,'' New Jersey's Vince Carter said. ``They started off the game well and had the run. Then it was back and forth, back and forth. At the end of the game they made their run and kept running. They got it going tonight, especially late.''

Hughes had seven assists and five steals to lead the Wizards, who got 3-pointers from seven different players and made a franchise-record 14 for the game. Gilbert Arenas and Jarvis Hayes each made three 3s as Washington surpassed its previous record of 12, set on Nov. 5, 2003, against Dallas.

``When we do it, we have to do it at our pace,'' Jamison said of the 3-pointers. ``Certain guys were feeling it and they were able to knock down shots. A lot of them were in the flow of the offense, driving and pitching it out.''

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan enjoyed the team effort: Washington's reserves outscored New Jersey's 31-12.

``It was one of our most impressive wins of the season,'' Jordan said. ``This is more impressive because we are playing against a terrific point guard (Jason Kidd), and Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter are terrific players, too. Carter made some good shots but they really aren't as deep. That is where we really took advantage, their lack of depth.''

Carter had a season-high 31 points on 15-for-23 shooting for New Jersey. Jason Kidd added 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Nets.

The Wizards took an 84-74 lead early in the fourth quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers by Jared Jeffries and Juan Dixon, and a dunk off a steal by Hayes, who had 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

``He can shoot the ball, probably one of the best on the team,'' Hughes said of Hayes. ``It is just a matter of getting the opportunity to play.''

Hughes scored 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Wizards pulled away.

``You help yourself out when you help your teammates out,'' Hughes said. ``I am always aggressive but at the same time I am definitely looking for my teammates and trying not to turn the ball over.''

Carter had a couple of flashy dunks to lead the Nets to an 11-point lead in the third quarter. Kidd's jumper put New Jersey ahead 64-53 with 7:19 remaining in the period.

The Wizards answered with a 12-1 run, capped by Arenas' 3-pointer for a tie at 65. After hitting two more 3s, Arenas gave Washington a 75-72 lead with a dunk off a steal with 59 seconds remaining in the third.

Arenas finished with 20 points, six rebounds and four steals.

``They lead the league in forcing turnovers so that is part of their defense,'' Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. ``We shoot 50 percent but we have 22 turnovers and they make a franchise record for 3-pointers. We were just not able to get the job done.''

Nenad Krstic scored four points as the Nets opened a 16-6 lead with a 10-0 run. Hughes and Jeffries each scored four points when the Wizards answered with an 11-2 run.

Kidd scored seven points in the Nets' 9-0 run that opened a 37-31 lead midway through the second quarter. The Wizards used a 9-2 spurt to take a 40-39 lead with 4:22 left in the first half. The Nets answered with a 9-0 run to go up 48-40. Then the Wizards closed the half with an 8-0 burst to tie it 48-all.

Our high scoring games and fast breaks really came in handy this game. Lets keep up the good work nets and make it 3 in a row!

Webber Returns to Rock Wizards

2004-12-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

from NBA.com

Washington's big three were not enough to stop Sacramento's reunited fab four.

With Chris Webber back after missing one game with a sore left knee, the Sacramento Kings got a huge effort from Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby and Brad Miller in a 104-93 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Webber came back strong, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with six assists and a pair of steals. Miller scored 19 points and had eight boards to team with Webber to form the inside complement to Stojakovic and Bibby's outside shooting.

Stojakovic, Miller, Doug Christie and Bibby all logged over 40 minutes as the starting five scored 98 of the team's 104 points.

"I really like being out there on the court," Bibby said. "I can't do anything from the bench. I feel I need to be out there to get things done."

Stojakovic and Bibby scored 26 and 24 points, respectively, and combined to drain 8-of-13 from the arc.

Stojakovic ignited a 15-0 first-half run with three straight from beyond the arc, giving Sacramento their biggest lead at 39-25. The Kings sharpshooter hit a 26-footer with 41 seconds left in the first quarter, then nailed a running 3-pointer as time expired. Stojakovic buried another three just 14 seconds into the second period.

"After the first one I kind of got going. The second one, ending the quarter, I kind of got lucky," said Stojakovic. "Overall it was a good game."

Washington was playing in back-to-back games and for the third time in four nights and wilted down the stretch.

After an alley-oop dunk from Bibby to Maurice Evans gave Sacramento an 87-77 lead with 8:48 remaining, Gilbert Arenas hit two 3-pointers and another jumper to key an 8-2 run that got the Wizards within 89-85 with 6:35 to play.

But the Wizards did not make a field goal over the final 3:39 of the game and fell to 2-2 on their five-game road swing.

"I'm just very proud of my team for this road trip and playing as hard as we did tonight, especially at the end of the trip against a very good team," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said.

Washington, one of the surprise teams in the NBA thus far, clearly is improved compared to the squad that managed just 25 wins last season.

"They're a good team this year," Miller said. "They've got a lot of athletes out there now. But we had a bunch of guys just getting scrappy and just going after it tonight."

"Fortunately we made some good plays down the stretch," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "Brad was terrific, especially in the fourth. He got his hand on so many balls and came up with offensive rebounds when we needed to get the ball back."

Washington gets a four-day break before visiting Minnesota on Sunday.

"The last game of a road trip is always tough," said Wizards guard Larry Hughes. "We played with pretty good energy. We didn't give them anything easy."

Arenas, Hughes and Antawn Jamison, who entered the game averaging 75.7 points on the road trip, were held to 61.

Arenas scored 22, including 11 in the fourth quarter, while Jamison added 20 and Hughes had 19.

Kings guard Bobby Jackson sat out the second half after aggravating a left wrist injury. His status for Thursday's game against Miami is listed as day-to-day.

Wizzards Finally win in Jersey

2004-11-21T13:40:00.000-05:00

from ESPN.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- It took Larry Hughes only 15 seconds to end the Washington Wizards' five-year victory drought in New Jersey.

Hughes hit a 3-pointer and then made a steal and a layup on consecutive fourth-quarter plays to lead the Wizards a 97-86 victory over the woeful Nets on Saturday night.

Hughes scored 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter, including seven straight with the game on the line, to give Washington its first win in the Garden State since 1999.

"It's not about how many points I score, it's what I contribute at both ends at the right time," said Hughes, who pushed his NBA-leading steal total to 29 with five against the Nets. "If the team needs something, I'm able to step in and do it big and make a big impact at a certain time to give us an edge."

New Jersey, which led by two points starting the final quarter, got within 81-79 when Richard Jefferson dunked with 6:03 to play.

Hughes then took over. After hitting 1-of-2 free throws, he nailed a 3-pointer with 5:08 to play after Jefferson missed two shots underneath.

Hughes then stole a pass from Travis Best to Jefferson for a layup and an 87-79 lead with 4:53 to go. After a jumper by Best, Hughes hit 1-of-2 free throws for his seventh straight point for Washington.

"That was the game," Jefferson said. "We have trouble enough scoring points and when you miss point-blank shots, it's tough."

The Nets, who had 19 total turnovers, never got closer than five points thereafter.

Antawn Jamison added 27 points for Washington, which had lost its last eight games in New Jersey.

Jarvis Hayes had seven of his 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Wizards snapped a four-game overall losing streak against New Jersey. The win was also the first for former Nets assistant and current Wizards coach Eddie Jordan against his old team.

"Larry was big again, and Antawn has been the leader for us whether he's scoring points or he's defending," Jordan said.

Jefferson had 22 points to lead New Jersey, which lost its fifth straight game. Eric Williams added 16 points and Alonzo Mourning and Zoran Planinic 14 apiece for the dismantled Nets -- now 1-6 at home.

"I am tired of losing," Mourning said.

New Jersey, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, used a 15-4 run at the end of the third quarter to take a 69-67 lead.

It marked only the second time this season that the Nets held the lead entering the final period.

Mourning started the run with a drive down the lane. Jefferson hit a turnaround jumper and a 3-pointer, and Williams and Travis Best added four points apiece.

The Wizards used a 19-3 spurt bridging the first and second quarters to take a 39-26 lead. Hayes had seven points, Anthony Peeler five and Jamison four.

The last Washington win at the Continental Airlines Arena had been on Nov. 11, 1999.

Davis, Curry Suspended for Two Games

2004-11-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

From Espn.com, By the Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Brendan Haywood of the Washington Wizards was suspended for three games by the NBA on Wednesday for fighting during a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls.

Antonio Davis and Eddy Curry of the Bulls received two-game suspensions, Washington's Larry Hughes drew a one-game suspension and Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich was handed a $10,000 fine.

"It's tough," Curry said of his suspension. "I wasn't expecting that. But there's nothing I can do about it."

The penalties were announced Wednesday by NBA vice president Stu Jackson, who found Haywood most at fault for the fight late in the third quarter of Chicago's 100-95 victory on Monday night.

Haywood, Davis and Curry were suspended for throwing punches, while Hughes was penalized for initiating the confrontation by head-butting Hinrich.

The suspensions take effect with the opening of the NBA regular season next week.

"We accept the ruling handed down by the league, however we do feel it's heavy-handed," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "We will have to step up and come together as we will be shorthanded for the first three games of the regular season."

Washington guard Gilbert Arenas has already been suspended by the NBA for one game because he failed to maintain proper registration of a handgun in 2003.

The Bulls were in Indianapolis on Wednesday night for a preseason game against the Pacers.

"We'll get through this game tonight and then figure out what we're going to do," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said.

The NBA also fined Boston guard Paul Pierce $15,000 for spitting in the direction of the Cavaliers' bench during Cleveland's 95-88 victory over the Celtics on Monday night.

Welcome!

2004-08-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, just getting started here on my first blog, so bear with me! I am going to be keeping it current soon, so please come back and check it out!