6:48:41 PM: The Verizon Center is dead just like D.C. – 15 minutes until Wizards-Thunder tip-off, but judging from crowd, feels about an hour away.

6:49:24 PM: RT @BulletsForever Flip implied we might see more zone: “In 2 of our last 3 games, our best defense at times has been our zone defense.”

6:50:42 PM: I asked a bunch of the Wizards before the game what was their favorite x-mas gift that they gave someone else. Got some interesting answers.

6:51:38 PM: Yea, riiiight. RT @BulletsForever Don’t expect 2 C Foye at PG. Flip: “Boykins has been most effective player off bench over last 15 gms”

6:53:14 PM: Wizards goals for tonight: Rebound & Run w OKC, go at Durant on D, Swing the ball on O, Contain dribble, & get early help from weakside D.

6:57:02 PM: Overhead JaVale McGee saying that his new year’s resolution is to make the playoffs.

6:58:54 PM: Pre-Game report from Mike Jones @MikeJonesTWT http://bit.ly/8bT0XI Flip Saunders isn’t getting enough meat & potato defense.

7:00:02 PM: RT @BulletsForever Flip said players may not always understand zone, yet said he might use more of it & it’s team’s most effective D. Huh?

7:00:42 PM: Flip Saunders on his team’s zone D: “If you don’t keep your hands up, your zone looks like swiss cheese – it has holes in it.”

7:03:14 PM: Fact: The Wizards are 9-7 when they score more than 100 points.

7:07:39 PM: Might be a late start time to the Wiz-Thunder game due to a seven minute national anthem.

7:08:32 PM: Brendan Haywood just scurried back to the locker room as the Thunder were being introduced…..

7:11:18 PM: The Wizards are a loose bunch, lot of dancing before the game … new, coordinated routines w each other. Hope they’re ready to play.

7:19:05 PM: The Thunder are a bit sloppy so far. Scott Brooks takes a timeout after Wiz build an 8-2 lead, 7:51 left in 1st.

7:23:41 PM: Y’all notice that Nick Young has been first off the bench over the last couple of games. Is he the Wizards’ 6th man now?

7:25:41 PM: Andray Blatche checks in too … for Haywood. Durant’s 2 FTs after he got fouled by Young on a drive make it 16-14 OKC.

7:26:20 PM: RT @TWTSports:
I think we’re having a worse week RT @dcsportsbog Rook Orakpo in ProBowl, vet Fletcher not, bad week 4 DC sports captains.

7:27:18 PM: RT @MrMichaelLee How you can tell a coach gets through to his team: He calls timeout & team responds. OKC on 14-6 run since Brooks called TO

7:27:47 PM: RT @BulletsForever The Wizards are really going at Kevin Durant. Probably for no reason. A Nick fadeaway over KD’s wingspan is not ideal.

7:28:54 PM: Now, the Wizards will have a chance to respond after Flip calls a timeout. DC down 22-17 w 3:22 left in 1st.

7:31:55 PM: Nick Young 3 minutes, Nick Young 3 fouls.

7:33:52 PM: Now sure about primary & secondary, but there’s such an air of pessimism up here on the tertiary media row. Wizards down 28-19.

7:35:43 PM: Every time I see Andray Blatche dribble the ball on a fast break, I hear Keith Jackson in my head saying, “Whoa Nellie!”

7:36:26 PM: Wizards down 30-25 after 1st Q. OKC is 5-6 from the FT line, Washington is 0-0.

7:37:04 PM: RT @BulletsForever Wizards lost rhythm once bench guys came in. Late 3s by Gil helped them sorta get it back, but getting zip from bench.

7:38:17 PM: RT @BulletsForever By the way, I think Gil’s really got pretty much his whole game back & is playing at a really high level now. Seriously.

7:39:05 PM: The Wizards moved the ball okay in the 1st, 8 assists on 11 field goals … 3 turnovers. Arenas had 4 and 1.

7:40:05 PM: You know when they talk about what position some NBA players would be in the NFL? Brendan Haywood would never, ever, ever be a receiver.

7:41:48 PM: Wiz current lineup: Boykins 1, Caron 2, Jamison 3, Blatche 4, Haywood 5 … interesting.

7:41:57 PM: RT @MrMichaelLee I can understand the Wiz giving up off rebs to Zach Randolph and Kevin Love, but who in the heck is Serge Ibaka?

7:45:01 PM: Flip takes a timeout as he sees the “same ol’, same ol’” …. Wizards down 40-29 with 7:59 left in 2nd.

7:45:45 PM: In case you were wondering, OKC is up 16-10 in the rebounding department, 3 offensive boards to 1.

7:47:01 PM: ATTENTION Wizards Fans: Do NOT vote for any Wizard to make the All-Star team. They do not deserve it.

7:51:01 PM: The Wizards’ zone D could be compared to the Green Zone in Iraq …. always getting bombed & attacked by the opposition.

7:56:17 PM: Wizards have made their way back into the game. 8 Gilbert Arenas points in the last 1:37 puts the Wizards down 42-41.

7:59:20 PM: Whoa Nellie!! Andray Blatche dribbled it on the fast-break … then gave it up to Haywood on the run. Luckily no TO. Silliness all around.

8:01:07 PM: Simple crowd observation: Some lady with huge breasts just walked down the corridor toward the locker room area. That is all.

8:02:04 PM: I’m just saying, if she didn’t want people to see …

8:04:46 PM: Gilbert is cookin’ & the Wiz are smokin’ – Arenas has 17 and DC has a 51-45 lead.

8:07:28 PM: Wizards have done better on FTs in 2nd Q. After shooting 0 in 1st Q, they are now 13-15, lead 55-48.

8:11:42 PM: Kevin Durant finishes the 1st half with a dunk, Wizards up 55-53.

8:13:59 PM: After getting out-rebounded 16-10 (3 offensive to 1) in 1st Q, the Wizards beat OKC 12-3 (6 off. to 0) on glass in 2nd Q.

8:16:49 PM: BTW, all the gossip rags want to talk about Gil & his fiancée … she’s been at the last 3 home games, at least.
8:30:25 PM: Despite his phone book mitts, you gotta like how Haywood always keeps the ball high & both hands on it when getting offensive boards.

8:33:11 PM: @BulletsForver makes me realize that Caron Butler has only attempted 4 shots, making 1. He has 3 rebs, 2 asts., 3 stls.

8:36:36 PM: Wizards up 66-62 on Thunder with 6:08 left in 3rd. Brendan Haywood has 8 rebounds, 7 of those are offensive.

8:41:02 PM: Poor Flip Saunders. I feel like he’s losing hair and gaining a limp … and it ain’t a pimp walk, his team is 10-19.

8:46:21 PM: @MrMichaelLee How does that “can’t stop, only hope to contain” line go?

8:50:31 PM: 3rd quarter ends, Gilbert Arenas dribbles the ball through traffic, loses it, then falls down. Game tied at 76.

8:53:23 PM: Wiz start the 4th with a turnover and an Eric Maynor fast-break hoop.

8:54:57 PM: Horrible charge call on Andray Blatche … Flip is very close to getting a tech.

8:57:22 PM: Time to chug a 5-hour energy … hope it helps the Wiz. 85-83 Thunder, 9:05 left in 4th.

8:59:21 PM: Damn. RT @BookingBossDC Ya’ll Skin fans, Carlos Rogers sittin near me and was greeted with a ‘redskins suck’ from a Wizard fan

9:02:41 PM: “Cry Little Sister”, the theme song from the Lost Boys movie must be playing in Blatche’s head.

9:03:12 PM: Damn, sounds serious. RT @blairangela Wizards are aiming to mess up my manicure. Can’t we play one game that isn’t this damn close?

9:05:19 PM: RT @MrMichaelLee This is not a memorable night for Nick Young. Five fouls in 5:43. He ends 2009 with a … dang

9:05:35 PM: RT @BulletsForever Oklahoma City has had 10 possessions this quarter. They’ve scored on nine of them.

9:07:14 PM: This is the first time I’ve seen (or noticed) Flip Saunders not wearing a tie on the sideline. Trying something new I guess.

9:11:57 PM: The Wizards’ communication is the equivalent of paper cups & string. Gil passed the ball out of bounds right past Foye.

9:13:35 PM: You can tell that Flip Saunders has NOT been happy with Randy Foye & his questionable shot selection. 103-94 Thunder, 3:19 left.

9:13:59 PM: RT @BulletsForever Randy Foye has made several really bad defensive plays tonight. Running at KD for no reason counts as one of them.

9:15:13 PM: RT @rashad20 Earl Boykins, the MVP of the bench the last 15 games according 2 Flip, is not on the floor during crunch time tonite 4 the Wiz

9:15:26 PM: RT @BulletsForever Earl Boykins back in. Randy Foye fails his fourth quarter test.

9:17:37 PM: And the boo birds begin to fly in the Verizon as people start putting on their coats. 105-94 Thunder, 1:45 left.

9:20:46 PM: The Washington Wizards: Where Long Two-Pointers Happen.

9:21:02 PM: The Washington Wizards: Official Mascot, The Boo Bird.

9:21:12 PM: The Washington Wizards: Where Losing Is A Habit

9:21:46 PM: Well, that’s a wrap for Wizards games in 2009. Over the calendar year, they only won 23 games, fall to Thunder 110-98.

10:14:32 PM: Flip was pretty upset in his post game presser, the worst I’ve seen him this year.

11:12:24 PM: No NBA team has disappointed more this season than the Washington Wizards. I implore you to argue otherwise.

11:27:25 PM: I wonder what would happen if the Wizards and Sixers traded coaches for the next 20 games.