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Monday, April 14, 2008

Game 81 Blog: Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers

Ron Thompson on Comcast with his "Ronny's" tonight.....some type of award with a creative nickname.

The Warrior Award: DeShawn Stevenson - agreed. My 2nd place would be Antawn Jamison
Most Improved: Roger Mason - agreed again. Just as Ron said, it was a difficult choice between Mase-ON and Brendan Haywood.
Mr. Dependable: Obviously Jamison.
Mr. Complete: Caron Butler
(I'm beginning to think that they selected players first, and then named awards according to their games.)
The Overachiever: Eddie Jordan - I'm caught on this award. I hate to call Eddie an "overachiever" for doing his job and being the good coach that I know he is, and whom I've supported, from Day 1.

Anyway, the game...

This is the Pacers 'De La Soul' game....you know, the Stakes Is High. If they lose, they can pretty much count on watching the playoffs from home. And that's fine with me, I'd rather see the Atlanta Hawks step up to bat. The task won't be easy, Danny Granger has been killing lately (much less being an upcoming Wizards Killer, a la Mo Williams) and both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler will be resting injuries tonight.

Quarter One

10:33: Dunleavy is Mr. Go-Hard at Antawn Jamison, getting a bucket and later, a two foul shots. Bout time, for a #3 overall pick. 4-4 game.

The early game plan for Eddie Jordan seems to have Brendan Haywood go up against Troy Murphy in the paint.

9:49: AJ gets a nut-shot as he throws up one of his crazy right-handed floaters. In defending, Granger kicked his leg up (like Reggie Miller shooting a jumper) right into the Jamison family bling. Antonio Daniels graciously commits a foul to stop play and we go to an early timeout. I hate to say it, but seeing AJ go down like that, writhing in extreme pain (we've all been there), but then to know that it's just a clap to the ding-dong, and not something really serious, is a relief. Mr. Dependable stays in the game of course. 8-4 Wizards.

Steve Buckhantz says that Jeff Foster was in the media room trying to scavenge for dinner before the game. That's our Jeff Foster, straight roaching. Foster is out tonight by the way.

8:51: Hands in the face of Dunleavy for 3? Nope. 10-7 Wizards.

Code Name: The Cleaner checks in the game....AJ has two fouls. And he immediately gets a skying offensive rebound on the neck of Dunleavy. I'd like to think that D-Mac can play better D on Mike Jr. too, who has scored all Pacers points so far.

7:07: Lock Smith.....back to back treys. 16-7 Wizards.

6:46: Dunleavy cuts in the middle of the zone and no one sees him. 16-9 Wiz.

6:30: Dunleavy cuts baseline in transition against the zone...thankfully Haywood sends his shit.

6:03: Murphy transition 3....the trailer from the top of the key. You cannot forget anyone on this team around the perimeter. 18-11 Wizards.

4:56: DC's 3rd turnover leads to Pacers points which leads to an Eddie Jordan timeout. 20-16 Wizards.

Comcast keeps putting up DeShawn Stevenson 3-point stats: He's tied with Manu Ginobili for 7th in the NBA for the most games (16) with 4 or more made three pointers. DeShawn's also made a great deal more 3s this year than he has in all of his previous 6 seasons combined.

Chris Miller on Eddie Jordan's timeout: "No more lay-ups! Hit 'em hard!" (not sure if Eddie actually yelled that or not....I doubt it)

Damn, Jermaine O'Neal has been in the league for a while now....before some 7th graders were born.

3:21: Offensive rebounds and second chance points are becoming a bit of an issue for DC. 27-21 Wizards.

1:07: Cleeean-ner! Follow up dunk son! That was quite a slam off the Roger Mason miss. Would Windex be a better nickname for D-Mac? 31-25 Wiz.

Windex...errr...The Cleaner needs to get more selfish. He picks off a Pacers half-court pass attempt with 2.8 seconds left, and after taking a couple dribble up court, tries to pass it to Andray. Not enough time, he should have shot the ball. Oh well.

The Pacers are crappy. They don't even deserve to be in playoff contention. And they are right what the Wizards offense needs as DC scores 35 points in the 1st quarter (on 56% shooting), yet gave up 28.

Quarter Two

11:09: A three from Mase-ON sets a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season....562. And they did it thanks mostly to Jamison, Stevenson and Mason, not Gilbert. 38-28 Wizards.

9:02: Big Pech contributes to the 3 point count to give the Wizards their largest lead. Funny, it seems like the Pacers have been the better team. 45-33 DC.

7:32: Nick Young hits a mid-range fadeaway....evidently Eddie turns to the broadcast crew and says something to the effect, "That looks like Phil Chenier 70 years ago." 50-37 Wizards.

The Wizard bench players a playing pretty well, especially the guard play of Nick Young and Roger Mason.

4:11: Andray Blatche is getting put-back dunks, 59-43.

3:46: Mason is driving and setting up Blatche for lay-ups. 61-46.

3:05: Steven Buckhantz compares the looks of Troy Murphy to Ernie Grunfeld.....Chenier says Murphy is "not quite as thick," whatever that means.

Coming out the timeout, Steve Buck says: "Wizards lead the Pissers.....Pacers..." and then he can't quite recover.

2:13: D-Song is getting offensive boards all over....and I'm really surprised that the game is going down like this. I expected a lot of fight from the Pacers. All they are really doing is running with reckless abandon.

Aside from not being able to play defense, the Pacers simply can't keep the Wizards off the boards. 32-13 is the rebound count in favor of the Wizards right now.

0:42: Songaila is playing the role of paint point guard tonight with his 4th assist. 66-51 Wizards.

0:00: I know it's been a fast-paced game and the Pacers are going to get buckets as a result, son...but the Wizards defense has been a huge negative so far. Still, a 12 point lead at the half is good for me.

Halftime interview with Nick Young: He basically just said that he wanted to get out on the court and have fun because he hasn't gotten a lot of minutes lately and that he wanta to get up whatever shots he can. "Great"

Half Stats:
  • Wiz boards: 35 (13 offensive) - Pacers Boards :16
  • The Cleaner has 6 boards in 14 minutes
  • Wiz bench points: 42, starter points: 24
  • As much as Indy likes to shoot 3s, they are 5-13 from deep, the Wizards are 7-15.
Quarter Three

Not sure what happened, neither are Steve and Phil, but Stevenson checks out and heads into the locker room 19 seconds into the 3rd quarter.

"They're letting this team hang around." says Steve Buck. 68-57 Wizards.

8:44: Roger Mason answer that with a three. 75-62 Wizards.

8:35: But the Wizards leave Troy Murphy open again for his own triple.

Luckily, the Pacers have no idea how to keep the Wizards off the boards.

7:56: But still, the Pacers score....Eddie calls a timeout because the Wiz D is terrible. Indiana is 5-6 FGs in the quarter so far...and it's not like they are hitting tough shots, most are wide open. 77-67 Wizards.

The report coming out the timeout is that DeShawn Stevenson and his sore back will be out for the rest of this game. The Cavs are up 6 on Philly right now with about 7 minutes left in the 3rd.

7:02: Damn D-Song....he set the Pacers right up with a spin move and a 7-10 split for the lay-up. 80-67 Wizards.

6:40: The D-Song gets his 6th assist to Haywood. 82-67.

4:50: D-Mac (Windex) chases down a loose ball like a hound dawg.

3:38: Mason with the soft shooter's roll for three....so much for the Pacers hanging around. Good timeout Eddie, the Wiz are up 21, 91-70. Mase-ON has 21 points.

Next Up: Dunleavy lay-up, Jamison 3, Granger 3, another Granger 3. 94-78 Wizards.

Lot going on, but there alway is, isn't there....a lot going on. [One of my favorite quotes from Made by the way]

Second chance points is 21-6 in favor of the Wizards at this point.

1:49: The Cleaner hangs for a jumper....and it's good. 98-78 Wizards.

Unfortunately, Nick Young is just doing whatever the fuck he feels like right now....dribbling around and missing fade away jumpers -- dribbling around shot-clock violations. Not the type of "routine" you like to see the kid get into.

0:00: To end the quarter, Young fiddles around with the ball, gets it to D-Mac behind the 3-point line corner, but not in time to get any kind of decent shot off. The 3rd quarter ends. 98-81 Wizards.

Quarter Four


11:04: Mason Junior hits another 3, his 6th of the game (26 points)...ties Roger's career high. 101-83 Wizards.

10:05: Dunleavy trey....this game is not really over just yet. 13 point lead (101-88)? Lotta time left.

8:29: What a surprise....Andray Blatche fouls out with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The 6th was a questionable charge call on Andray. But damn kid, how can we get you to stay on the court? Now the Wizards are down four players.

5:59: Travis Diener his at trey (first game points in 2.5 minutes). It's an 11 point Wiz lead....but the Potomac Rainmaker answers with his career high 7th three pointer. 106-92 Wizards.

4:48: Cleaner with a tough shot....he uses his strength in the post against Dunleavy as someone from the bench tells him to "go to work" -- And 1 missed, 108-94 Wizards.

Meanwhile.....the Sixers have just gone on a 17-5 run to tie the game with Cleveland at 80, 4:37 left in the 4th. I've actually had the Wizards game on two TVs....for what reason, not exactly sure. Well....probably because one is hooked up straight to cable and the other to a digital box, so there is a couple second delay that allows me to see some plays twice

Switching one TV over....Boobie Gibson trey. Screw Damon Jones, I'm worried about the Wizards keeping track of that guy in the post-season. Remember last year?

Pacers are within 10 with 2 minutes left.

2:51: A charge is drawn on King James, Philly ball, down 83-82 (don't get confused, two game blogs have fused together)

1:11: Granger cans a three....7 points Wizards lead now, 112-105. Wouldn't it be amazing if both Philly and the Pacers came back to win? Shut me up.

0:57: D-Mac does NOT clean anything by missing 2 FTs....Pacers get the rebound and call timeout.

2:11: Ilgauskas hits a couple FTs to put the Cavs up 3, 85-82. Igoudala has taken a couple bad shots on the last two Sixers possessions, but they get an offensive rebound on the 2nd miss.... and Sam Dalembert hits a bucket, And 1 - but a misses the FT. 85-84 Cleveland.

0:41: Meanwhile...Indy turnover, Dunleavy traveling. D-Mac goes 1 of 2 from the FT line this time. The Cleaner needs a lot of face time with Dave Hopla this summer. 113-105 Wiz.

1:06: T. Young hits a hook to put Philly up 86-85.

0:32: Granger drives and Harrison gets a jam. 113-107 Wizards.

0:44: LBJ gets it to Ilgauskas for the go ahead bucket....an amazing thread-the-needle, jump to pass (had to) from LeBron. 87-86 Cleveland.

0:24: Somehow, Songaila and McGuire are in charge of getting the ball up court....8 second violation, Pacers ball. REALLY?

0:17: And Marquis Daniels hits a three. 113-110 Wizards.

GET THE BALL OUT McGUIRE's HANDS!!! He's fouled with 16 seconds left. Ok kid....keep it cool. D-Mac makes the 1st....camera flashes to the Wizards bench where Haywood is playfully slapping Nick Young dead in the face.

D-Mac hits the second....thank you sir. 115-110 Wizards.

Philly scores (Sweet Lou Williams drive), Cavs score (Lebron soft touch). 89-88 Cleveland with 15 seconds left.

0:05: Wow....I just yelled out loud because the Sixers hit a shot. Igoudala lost the ball, Sweet Lou was there for the pick up and knocked down a jumper like a vet, 90-89 Philly.

Meanwhile...Roger Mason makes a couple more FTs to seal the deal and the three-point well dries up for the Pacers. Game over, Wizards 117-110. NBA.com box

The Sixers foul LeBron...they had 1 to give. 4.1 seconds left.

LeBron goes to the basket....looks like it might be a travel....looks like there could be a foul somewhere. NOPE! The Sixers win!

.....not so fast my friend. No one heard a whistle. The refs review and a foul was called with .2 seconds left. Devin Brown at the line...the Sixers players must be called out of the locker room.

Andre Miller is doing some gamesmanship by walking in a circle around Brown at the FT line. LeBron is kneeling and laughing at opposite FT line after Devin hits the first FT. LeBron puts his arms up and starts walking to the bench before the 2nd one drops. Even Comcast thought the game was over. Cleveland wins, how about that?

Even the Cleveland TV announcers (Fred McLeod I believe) start the shit talking...."Gilbert Arenas, welcome back to Cleveland."

Well, that's it. My initial reaction is to sit everyone against Orlando....than again, maybe the Tres Grande can get maybe 15 minutes of run together?.......then again, better to be safe than sorry.

Lotta trash talk between DC and the Mistake by the Lake is about to go down.
Don't sing it, just bring it.


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Wizards vs. Pacers: The Quick & Easy Preview

Hey, YOU.....go read a site about the sudden outburst of what basketball courts are made of, Hardwood Paroxysm my friends. Other than HP's coverage of everything basketball (reason enough to visit), a recent post features a Q&A about the Washington Wizards involving this fair site and the good folks of Bullets Forever. Consider it one of many possible playoff previews.

Before we get into tonight's Pacers game, here is what went down with the team from Indy earlier this year:

Game 1: Wizards @ Pacers, Oct. 31, 2007 - L, 119-110:

My very first Wizards game blog.....aww, ain't it special? So many highlights from this loss. Looking back, I can't believe this was in the first couple of paragraphs:
Tony Kornheiser used to talk about the Curse o’ Lez Boulez.....is there now a Curse o’ Lez Wizards? Think about it...Injuries to Gilbert and Caron at the end of last year (btw, I'm not going to count Jamison’s knee thing..that almost was expected, at least to have one 4+ week injury on the team). This year: Etan's heart condition. And now...boy did Haywood's knee go in an awkward direction when he fell over Diogu in the first quarter. He seems to be fine after that nice dunk. Then Stevenson to the locker room? Is this the way it's going to be all year?
The answer? Yep. But shouldn't we all be pleasantly surprised that the Wizards are in the playoffs considering?

Other items of note from game 1: Gilbert Arenas hit a 3 at the regulation buzzer to send the game into overtime, the Wizards missed 13 FTs, and Andray Blatche had a pseudo mohawk. Washington could not pull the game out in OT as Danny Granger went wild from the 3-point line and Mike Dunleavy pulled down 25 and 12 leading the Pacers to the 119-110 dub.

Game 7: Pacers @ Wizards, Nov. 14, 2007 - W, 103-90:

The second win of the season and #100 for Eddie Jordan (in the Verizon Center). Gilbert was still playing, but monitored, and Troy Murphy was out for Indiana as Marquis Daniels played a nice game handling the PG duties for the Pacers. Here's a clip from the blog:
The Wizards actually looked like a TEAM tonight. And I know that the Pacers aren't that great, they just lost their 5th in a row...but a dub is a dub. Strong defense, smart offense, and great play off the bench.....sounds like a formula to follow.
Game 26: Wizards @ Pacers, Dec. 22, 2007 - L, 93-85:
Caron Butler was out this game with a bum ankle. Stat of the game: The Pacers had 20 more assists than they had turnovers and the Wizards had two less assists than turnovers. Oh yea, the highlight of the game, some clown ran on the court, stopping play, Jeff Foster tripped the guy/kid and Jermaine O'Neal didn't want to have to cold-cock another S.O.B.

------
Take care of your fix with these quick web hits:

  • The Wizards can sure rebound from inconsistent efforts...that's a good thing I guess. [Washington Post]
  • An MRI on Caron Butler's knee was thankfully negative, but people would not be surprised if he sat out tonight -- he's officially a game-time decision. [WashingtonWizardsBlog.com]
  • DeShawn Stevenson is a bad muther.....shut yo mouth. [Bullets Forever]
And that's all I got. A win would be nice, but I'm really looking for a consistent effort from the tip to the final buzzer. We all know our 07-08 Wizards, not only are they inconsistent from game-to-game, but many times, quarter-to-quarter. Play together, oil up the offense, communicate on defense, and the rest will take care of itself.

Will Agent Zero by up to task?

Agent Zero vs. Indiana Pacersflickr/Scott Ableman


Get this former Pacer a beer....or a hug.....or straight jacket.


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Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Link Farm - Scott Skiles' Pink Slip, M-Rod's Mug Shot, Drunk Kids?


We all know that Scott Skiles got fired on Christmas Eve....and sure he's not happy with the pink slip, but why is he holding that ax? Ben Wallace better look out for the blow out.

I'm not sure if Michelle Rodriguez just looks plum crazy in her mug shot, or if she would be the hot, edgy chick with an 'tude in Chained Heat 17.

The DC Pro Sports Report has an entry on Wizards and Capitals attendance figures. They are surprised that the Wizards are only averaging 3,300 more fans per game than the Caps. I'm not sure if this means that people are liking hockey more than I thought, or that the Wizards fans suck.

An initial glance of the headline for this post from The Big Lead made me think that Topanga went down on 36 Florida State football players, yes that Topanga. Glad I read it twice, she only got pulled over with a DUI.....and we're still waiting for the mugshot.

From the last Wizards-Pacers game, the video of a drunk little kid (ok, that's speculation) running around on the court during a stoppage in play, and trying to touch the net. Towards the end of the video, Jeff Foster of the Pacers trips the lil' guy. Good stuff.

100% Injury Rate gives us Football Over The Law in Louisiana.

Cris Collinsworth can be a flat out d*ck at times....and that's not just because he spells his first name with 4 letters. Funny thing is, he's been kinda growing on me to the point where I don't mind him so much. But like Awful Announcing, I'm still trying to figure out what's going on in this clip. Hey, thanks to Wikipedia, I learned that unlike Chad Johnson, Anthony Cris once lost to a horse in a race.

Exactly what we didn't need to happen after the murder of Sean Taylor.

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Saturday, December 22, 2007

Live Game 26 Blog: Washington Wizards @ Indiana Pacers

Well, Caron Butler is out with an ankle tonight. Darius Songaila will start in his place, along with Haywood, Jamison, Mason Jr. and Stevenson. A little bit bigger lineup, not a bad idea since Mike Dunleavy at the 2 and Danny Granger at the 3, both 6'9", present a tall challenge. But the Wiz should still be able to get up and down the court at a decent pace with AJ at the 3. I just hope he can keep up with Granger trolling around the 3 point line. Gonna be tough, but let's think that avoiding three losses in a row will provide some extra kick for this team.

For the record:
Season Opener Live Blog @ Indy [a 119-100 Wizards loss in OT]
Game 7 Live Blog - Indy in DC [a 103-90 Wizards win]

Start the show....

1st Quarter

Honestly, I'd be a complete defeatist about our chances if J.O. was playing like the Real J.O.

9:48 - 5-2 early lead for the Wiz, Jermaine O'Neal goes to the rack, but is bothered by a long, and somewhat agile BTH.

9:09 - A Troy Murphy transition dunk gets the Pacers to 5-4. Not sure if two white boy breakaway dunks to start the game are exactly good for the Wizards. Dunleavy has the first.

Got some company for the game - my boy Chris says, "Jamison's shot seems to be coming up short tonight...is that a good comment to put?" I don't know Chris, we'll just have to see.

6:06 - Roger Mason air ball - which prompts my boy AJ to say, "Man, Washington sports is really facing a lot of adversity these days." To that, I say, "Hey, we could be living in Miami, then again, we'd be living in Miami."

Really Comcast? Going to a commercial mid-game. Classy.

Broadcast finally comes back to Eddie Jordan talking about his 2 hour random Christmas shopping spree. Great. 5:24 left, the Wizards are up 12-11. I guess a timeout was anticipated by the TV crew.

You know, I don't exactly mind the shots that Darius Songaila takes, I just don't exactly like having to go to him for shots. The Wizard are trying to go post, but that results in D-Song and Brendan Haywood misses.

3:31 - Nick Young and Andray Blatche check in....we will really need some energy from these guys.

1:30 - Very lackluster 1st quarter so far, Pacers are up 16-13, now 19 after a Granger 3.

1:20 - D-Song and D-Mac get in for Haywood and Jamison.

0:15 - Dunleavy 3, Indy up 22-16 -- boy that thinning dome hair is really showing on him. The quarter ends and the Wizards seem to be lacking energy as they did last night against the Hawks. Down 4, 18-22.

2nd Quarter

You can see the effort of the Wiz trying move the ball, but the flow is just not there.

A J.O. dunk puts the Pacers up 29-20. At this point, the Wiz no longer look like a decent team that is really trying hard, rather, a mediocre team that is struggling to stay afloat.

7:35 - We really need BTH to step up. He just got traveling called on him, guess he got a little too excited when he saw skinny Dunleavy guarding him. J.O. hits on the other end to put the Pacers up 10, 31-21.

Phil Chenier
keeps mentioning that the Wiz are playing decent half-court D, but I'm seeing them easily lose important Pacer shooters in transition.

5:05 - Roger Mason with his second deuce in a row, cuts the once 11 point Pacer lead to 6. Even after Mason Jr. misses...in which I'm always a little more disappointed than with any other Wizard misses, not sure why...cause I really like the kid (maybe it's because I don't want his misses to rally the campaign of those against him)...but back to the point, he always seems to come back with the same display of confidence. I really like the consistency he is able to provide.

4:30 - Another 2 by Roger, almost a 3. The fact that EJ is calling his number via run plays shows the confidence the coaches have in him too.

The Wiz have 7 turnovers so far...that seems a little high to me.

2:50 - A Stevenson bad turnover on a careless drive....and then he very casually gets back, barely getting across half court as the Pacers hit a transition 3.

Mason has been poppin', but the Wizards are looking to get him the ball like he's the one and only scorer. The Pacers are starting to pick up on this fact.

1:25 - Timeout, Pacers up 9, 41-32. Neither team is shooting above 40%, but the Pacers are 5-14 on 3s, while Washington is 1-8.

1:10 - 9th turnover for the Wiz leads to another Indiana bucket.

0:50 - 9th point for Roger Mason Jr., J off the glass.


0:37 - But the Wizards can't stop Kareem Rush who, as Steve Buck tell us, has the last TWELVE points for the Pacers? What? How do the Wiz let a guy coming off the bench do that? 45-34 Indy at intermission.

Half Stat Rap
  • 8 turnovers for the Wizards in the 2nd quarter, leading to 14 Pacer points. [9 turnovers total]
  • Only 7 assists for the Wizards, 15 for the Pacers -- not surprising since assists come easily with all those transition buckets.
  • 35% shooting for Washington, 11 points for Jamison, 9 for Roger Mason -- that's just not going to get a mark in the W column.
I'm sure with all the injuries, it can be hard to "get up" for games and get past any demoralizing feelings. But these other guys, the ones who are given a chance to get their game on with the big dogs out, they should be contributing the "I'm gonna make a name for myself to get some straight cash homey down the line" effort and energy to the team cause. I really don't mind poor shooting nights, those will happen. I'm even willing to concede the fact that turnovers will be inevitable, especially without Antonio Daniels. But to be getting beat by Indiana in transition like this? Unacceptable. Resolving the issue will require the type of hustle, hustle-swag if you will, which will hopefully snowball into better performance in all aspects of the game.

3rd Quarter

Haywood's offensive repertoire has dissolved into lazy moves these past two games. We know you have it in you BTH...just be patient and make solid attempts which may at least get you a trip to the line.

Just under 10, the Pacers effortlessly push their lead to 13, and they have the ball after a questionable charge call on Stevenson.

Steve Buck just pointed out that referee Mark Wunderlich has been frustrated with the constant complaining for the Wizards bench -- an indication of a possible tech down the road. We sure could use that energy spent complaining on the court.

Haywood's defensive effort is still, however, present. A rebound and block contribution eventually helps the Wizards cut it to 8, down 49-41.

7:27 - A 3 pointer by DeShawn pushes the Wizards run to 10. A Granger 2 on the other end.....but Haywood is showing signs of life back down the court with an offensive rebound and put-back. Wiz down 51-48.

BTH does have 12 rebounds, 5 offensive, and 3 blocks -- so maybe I was a little hard on him earlier -- those non-scoring numbers go a very long way in making up for any offensive deficiencies.

Minor game delay, a fan just ran out on the court. He didn't go after any players, Steve and Phil said that he just wanted to touch the net. Ummm okay? Security finally was able to scramble and tackle the guy. I agree with Phil C, I don't think I ever remember seeing a fan on the field of play during a basketball game...football and baseball, yes. But basketball? You gotta be pretty into some booze or paraphernalia to get trashed enough to storm the court at a random December Pacers-Wizards NBA game. In this case, at least Comcast was able to cut to the sky cam feed to show the fan running around. Not as good as a close up, but still...better than ignoring the damn thing like they do for NFL broadcasts. I'm always completely disappointed when they don't show fan-field action. I quasi understand their reason: they want to prevent idiots from doing it just to get on TV -- but then why does it still happen? I really think some of these cats get so drunk, that it doesn't matter if they're on TV or not. The lesson learned, and the great preventer should be a tackle by an NFL player, a beating by security in the stadium jail, and strict prosecution. But please, show these damn clowns, it's absolutely hilarious.

Oh, BTW....here is the video that damn clown on the court. Not sure what to make of Jeff Foster tripping him. Also, Jermaine O'Neal didn't want to have to cold-cock another S.O.B.

4:23 - After the timeout, the Pacers easily push their lead from 4 to 8 in less than a minute.

Nick Young and Blatche in for Haywood and Deee Shawn - They join Mason, AJ and D-Mac.

My fingers are once again crossed for these guys. Andray has lost his headband. What does that mean? He immediately picks up his second foul and the turns the ball over.

Steve Buck keeps pointing this out: 18 points off 12 DC turnovers for Pacers. Zero points off 5 Indy turnovers for the Wizards. Not a sign of a team that's playing together.

On another note - Jeff Foster is hitting open jumpers - he reminds me of somebody....some jerk. Just look at this guy, he looks like he's raping a 15 year-old with his eyes. BTW, nice make-up job on the forehead zit, d-bag.

2:37 - Coming out the timeout, AJ makes 2 FTs, Wiz down 59-56.

Two fouls in a row, 1st AB, then D-Mac - damn, Washington can't get past these touch fouls.

Danny Granger is a Wizards killer, he's leading the Pacers with 16 points.

There's the old Jermaine O'Neal. Jamison allows him to get deep, under the basket position, for the bucket and foul.

The Wizards can't build on anything good. Got it within 1, but then hurt themselves with Jeff Foster dunks, turnovers, and JO on AB abuse in the lane. Down 8 again, quickly. End of the 3rd.

4th Quarter

11:32 - How in the hell does that happen? The Pacers win a jump ball, between Andray Blatche and Jeff Foster, on their end; it is tipped right to Troy Murphy who scores on Songaila. I ask again, how in the hell does that happen?

Songaila does make up for that gaffe by getting a bucket on the other end, then drawing a charge back down the court. 9 healthy bodies, down 5, with the ball, just over 10 minutes left in the game, Ready to Rule.

10:01 - A Nick Young miss makes him 1-7 on the night. Guess it doesn't matter if he starts or sits, he's still a streaky rookie who cannot move his feet on defense. Exactly who we thought he was.

9:32 - Great play out of the timeout. Princeton Perfection -- D-Song dibbles toward DeShawn on the left wing, Stevenson make the back cut and receives the perfect pass from Darius for the dunk. Gotcha Marquis Daniels.
Big Shot DeShawn - ties the game on his low shot-clock trey, 8:00 left.

7:56 - Unfortunately, Darius Songaila lets Troy Murphy cut RIGHT in front of him for a hoop on the other end. D-Song can be such a back and forth contributor....but he's always scrappy.

Wiz can't get over the hump as Indiana pushes their lead back to 4, at 74-70, in less than 30 seconds. Check that, Danny Granger 3 puts it at 7. Frustrating beyond typing.

5:35 - Back within 3 as D-Song hits 2 FTs, he's 24-24 for the season says Steve Buck.

You always hear about players with high basketball IQ. I'm not going to question what this means, but if you use it to specifically refer to team defense, I would say that the Wizards have a low team defense IQ -- They can hustle and they can try, but losing a man on D is about 11 pars out of 18 on the course. Curious,....you'd think that in an offense based on passing and cutting, thus "losing your man", that the Wizards would be extra aware of not going MIA.

5:28 - Case in point, Danny Granger beats Brendan Smokin' Haywood on a jump ball. Jamaal Tinsley gets it, swings the rock to JO who hits a cutting Jeff Foster for a bucket. Too easy.

4:26 - Tech on JO, too much complaining about nuthin. Roger Mase FT and AJ bucket cuts the Pacers lead to 5 at 84-79. Can they make a push? I'm not so sure. 4 minutes left

3:42 - It's an easy damn game. Penetration by Dunleavy, pass to Tinsley on the wing, and swing to Danny Granger for a wide open 3 at the very top of the arc.

I can sense this loss as JO hits a J to put the Pacers up 10 with 3 left. Well, I know that Eddie Jordan didn't shoot 40% from the field and 70% from the FT line. The humps of Gilbert and Caron being out are enough to overcome, can't afford to bring bad shooting into the equation.

The Wizards offensive attempts at the end of this game are a comedy of errors. Steve and Phil say that the real pivotal play of the game was the jump ball at the beginning of the quarter. That set the tone for the 4th and reflected the type of game that Andray Blatche displayed, yet again -- 14 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 1 steal, 1 block.

Steve Smith just scored a TD for the Panthers - hey buddy, welcome to the season in Week 16 - almost time to cut the Wiz off and go root against the Cowboys. Don't want any playoff home field advantages for those jerks.

Uh oh....and TO is heading to the locker room with 4:30 left in the1st half. Christmas coming early you say? They film all the way to the x-ray room until the Grown Baby orders the door closed.

Meanwhile, back to the Wiz game, X-mas isn't coming at all here. They lose for the 3rd straight game, 93-85.

What's going on with those stats?
  • For the most part, the shooting percentages were a wash. The Wiz lost by 8 and the Pacers ended up hitting three more 3s.
  • Roger Mason had a career high 20, and only 1 turnover. AJ came strong with 29 and 12.
  • Hell, the only other stat I want to point to is that the Pacers had 20 more assists than they had turnovers. The Wizards had two less assists than turnovers.
  • Enough said.
  • ...oh yea, Wizard Killer's 25 points.

Danny Granger

It's KILLA B.

BTW, I forgot that Granger was from Metairie, LA, thanks to the New Mexico Lobos website -- represent the dirty. [other pic from SI Kids]

Bullets Forever with the open game thread - Prada wasn't far off with that 'Pacers holding the Wiz to under 80' prediction.

ESPN Story - Washington Post Story - NBA.com Box

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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Game 7 Blog: Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers

Troy Murphy is out tonight. Good, we don't need another 3 point shooter on the court, much less a big man who spreads the floor.

Eddie Jordan is going for his 100th win at the Verizon/MCI Center this evening. Get it for him Wiz.

1st Quarter

Despite a turnover on the first possession, the Wiz do good to establish Brendan Haywood inside (just like in the Hawks win) on the 2nd possession for the 1st bucket of the game.

As Phil Chenier noticed, the crowd is filled with anticipation on Gil's first shot attempt, a 3 point miss. Even on TV, you can sense hesitancy among the fans. Of course, after seeing the camera pan, lotta no-shows or lates at the start. What is DC turning into, LA? Wish the Wizards could elicit the same passion as fans have for the Skins. Guess you gotta get multiple rings for the franchise first.

8:20 - Gil gets on board with his first FG. The Wiz are doing a good job of contesting shots on D so far, save for that wide-open Tinsley 2 pt attempt (and miss) before Gil hit his shot.

7:30 - TO Pacers. Wiz are once again off to a good start, but we've seen this before.

Gilbert Arenas is going with the white compression sock tonight. I should be charting his performance based on what he wears...black sock, white sock, no sock.

I sure didn't know the Wiz were #1 in the NBA in rebounding as a team. Pacers are #2. Coulda fooled me.

6:53 - Offensive foul on Caron. Jeff Foster was set forever.

5:54 - Two offensive rebounds for the Pacers on one possession - somebody has got to be down there helping Haywood....at least everyone should take ownership of blocking out their man. 14-7 Wiz after a Jermaine O'Neal FT.

4:20 - Nice up and under floater by Caron over Tinsley, but the Wiz don't even think about getting back on D. Tinsley gets down the court by himself and just backs down DeShawn for a bucket with minimal resistance.

Tinsley is really pushing it up the court. And as Phil and Buck have noted, Eddie keeps yelling for the Wiz to get out on the break too. Things get a little sloppy, Wiz timeout, up 20-12, 3:03 left.

Songaila in the game, along with Andray - Gil, Butler and Jamison still in. I really like the potential of this lineup.

Quick TV ad spot for Wizards Singles Night...featuring DeShawn Stevenson. Do you think Lindsay Lohan was invited? Any word on him getting her digits yet? We're all pulling for you DeShawn. I smell a Black Snake Moan sequel.

1:45 - A little pressure from the Wiz leads to a Blatche deflection and a Gilbert basket...And1. Good, they need to slow this team down. Wiz up 26-14.

Marquis Daniels looks like a soccer player with the pulled up yellow socks.

1:25 - Gil gets his first rest when Antonio Daniels checks in.

:54 - Butler drives to the basket strong and gets fouled, 2 FTs. But the opportunity was created because the Wiz spread the floor and really worked the ball quickly around the horn. Caron drove with 7 on the shot clock, but the wide lane he had made it easy.

At the end of the 1st, the Wiz are up 28-15. Shooting well, 45%, while keeping the Pacers to 25%. The Wiz have missed all of their 3 point attempts, but have only taken 2...so that's okay.

2nd Quarter

Another interesting lineup: Blatche, Haywood, Daniels, Stevenson and Songaila. I really like the way that Eddie is mixing it up. BIG front line with 7 ft, 6-11, and 6-9. These guys are going to have to learn how to play with each other anyway.

10:34 - Smooth outside J by Andray, a couple feet inside the 3 point line, top of the key. The Pacers are trying to be more aggressive in going to the basket, but the Wiz are holding strong by making them take tough shots.

You know, we usually see some nice hustle from Blatche, but I would like to see some intensity added into the mix.

8:56 - TO, 34-21 Wizards. Eddie talks about Andray Blatche on TV...saying he will be more on the perimeter, but slashing to the basket a lot....and also looked to as a scoring option. No subs yet.

8:21 - Very strong offensive rebound by Haywood, and a DUNK, over Jermaine O'Neal. Butler and Jamison check back in for Blatche and Songaila. Those two gave about exactly what the Wiz need off the bench. Muchos gracias.

7:56 - Daniels is doing a very nice job managing the game so far...meaning, he's not trying to do too much. He is forced to drive with the shot clock running down, gets blocked by O'Neal, but that allows Haywood's hustle swag to take over, get the O board with 1 second on the shot clock, and get fouled...two made FTs.

5:37 - Timeout. Shhh....the Wizards only have 2 turnovers at this point in the game.

Gil back in the game. What's that, about 8 minutes of rest for him so far? Definitely on pace to be below 40 minutes. We will see.

DeShawn's beard is getting thick...and we all know about the contest between him and Drew Gooden. How far do you think this goes? Freeway/Philly Boy potential?

3:45 - Spoke waaaay too soon, DeShawn gets a bad turnover and then fouls Marquis Daniels on the break.

2:01 - Blatche back in getting blocks, rebounds and feeding Gil for a 3. Wiz up 49-37.

1:40 - Arenas blocks a JUMPER by Danny Granger....a 6'9" dude. Way to go meniscus!

:52 - Another 3 pointer for Gil! Never thought I'd say that he has a "quiet" 18 points.

:11 - A heat-check 3 by Gil misses everything, but after a Pacers turnover, the Wiz get the ball back. Gil drives to the basket and gets fouled with :00.9 left. He makes the two FTs. That's 20 points at the half for him. Like I said, quiet....maybe the Hibachi is a slow-cooker tonight.

Nice half Wizards. Up 56-41

Key Halftime Stats:

FG% - Wiz 46.5, Pacers 33.3
TOs - Wiz 3, Pacers 4
FTs - Wiz 13-16, Pacers 6-8


3rd Quarter

Wizards start with a Jamison 3, after a dump off pass from Gil. AJ only had 2 points in the first half. Good to see Eddie run a play for him at the start to get him going.

10:28 - Wiz run another play for AJ, flip shot and a made two.

9:50 - Gilbert goes for a steal, and misses, on a long out-under inbound pass to Tinsley. Tinsley drives to the basket and creates an open 2, and make, for Jeff Foster.

I've noticed a couple other times in this game, much less the season, much less Gilbert's career, where Arenas has taken a high risk gamble and gotten himself in a very bad position. And maybe he could get away with these gambles a little more in the past....but considering his knee and limited agility, he should really cut down and focus on staying in between the basket and his man....especially when the Wizards have the lead.

TO Wizards....Antonio Daniels gets in the game for DeShawn. After everyone hyped him up after a good game in Atlanta, he sure hasn't done much tonight.

6:30 - Butler shoots the gap, pokes a steal away, and gets a break-away dunk. Now that wasn't a bad gamble.

Blatche in (a couple minutes ago for Haywood), and Songaila in for Jamison.
4:57 - The energy brought by those two off the bench forces the Pacers into a 24 second shot clock violation. Only 8 points from the bench so far, but that's okay if everyone keeps bringing the hustle swag.

TO, Wiz up 75-58.

3:25 - Dunleavy gets his first points of the game, hits 2-3 FTs. He killed the Wiz for 25 points and 12 rebounds in the first game.

2:15 - Daniels goes to the basket hard on the break. Funny play, Dunleavy trips over Travis Diener trying to cover and gets hit in the face by AD's knee, who in turn, goes down hard. But as usual, a resillient AD gets right up.

Roger Mason Jr. checks in for his first action. So, Gil goes out for the first time in the second half. Wonder how long Eddie will wait to get him back in.

1:19 - Songaila giving some stong minutes, left handed hook good for two.

:59 - Blatche is really all over the place this game, he draws an offensive foul on Danny Granger. Of course, he goes to the basket a little out of control on the other end and gets an offensive foul himself. Patience young man, patience.

:17 - Daniels goes around the screen, gets himself caught in the air, and turns the ball over. C'mon Point Guard! Don't jump without knowing what you're going to do.

At one point in the 3rd, Indy went on a 7-0 run, but the Wizards stayed solid and lead 83-66 at the end of the 3rd. I really like the rotation pattern that Eddie Jordan has established this game. The Wizards flow seems much more smooth, with consistent effort and play throughout. Only one thing, that pesky 4th quarter....

4th Quarter

After finishing the 1st half shooting 46.5%, the Wiz pushed their game FG% to 50.8 at the end of the 3rd.

And of course, they start the 4th strong on D too...force the Pacers into another shot-clcok violation. 14th TO for the Pacers.

Mason, Haywood, Songaila, Jamison and Daniels start the 4th.

Haywood has done a great job on Jermaine O'Neal tonight. He's been able to hold his ground in the post and has used his arm length to bother JO's shot.

10:00 - Gil checks in (for Roger Mason) after about 4 minutes of "game time" rest. That is really key on Eddie Jordan's part. Rest Gil at the end and beginning of quarters so that he gets that much extra time on the bench in between. Has he done that yet this year?

9:15 - Brendan Haywood just got his 5th double-double of the year: 10 points, 13 boards.

Speaking of.....breathe easy Tarheel fans. Looks like you number #1 team is going to get past Davidson, up 72-67 with 1.4 seconds left.

8:11 - Caron checks in for AD - joins Gil, Haywood, Jamison and Songaila.

7:37 - Gil lobs to Brendan for a dunk, also ends a 5-0 Pacers run.

5:41 - Foul on Marquis Daniels, committed by Gil. Wiz up 93-77.

4:06 - Pacers have just gone on a 7-0 run, aided by a couple bad Wiz jump shots. But Songaila ends it with a jumper as the announced crowd of 12,447 at the Verizon Center was starting to get restless....really? That many fans? What is this, a Hornets game? Damn, DC has some fair-weather fans.

Marquis Daniels has been playing a lot of point for the Pacers tonight. He's got 16 points on 7-12 shooting to go along with 3 steals. I really liked him as a player in college with the Auburn Tigers. I also remember him playing a lot of PG at Auburn. He's a lengthy 6-6. I can easily see him filling in at the PG for the Pacers (more than Travis Diener) if Jamaal Tinsley gets hurt, like he usually does. Or, like in this game....where Tinsley has 5 turnovers.

2:47 - Gil missed the 2nd of two FTs, but Blatche keeps it alive, tips it to Gil, who ends up hitting a three. 28 for the game for him, Wiz up 101-86. I know people will be asking, why hasn't Eddie been playing Andray more? Well...forget about the past, maybe Eddie will now.

1:24 - Haywood checks in for Songaila to ensure lock-down D for the rest of the game. Great game for Darius, 12 points off the bench. Wiz up 103-90.

:55 - Gil checks out of the game.

More than solid win for the Wizards. 103-90 was the final. I couldn't be happier that they built on that last win against Atlanta.

Why?

1) An efficient 30 for Arenas, 9-18 from the field.

2) 11 assists and 3 turnovers for Gil.... 23 assists, 14 TOs total for the team (would like to see the turnovers cut down though).

3) The worst shooting team in the NBA, the Wizards, shot 48.6% from the field.

The Wizards actually looked like a TEAM tonight. And I know that the Pacers aren't that great, they just lost their 5th in a row...but a dub is a dub. Strong defense, smart offense, and great play off the bench.....sounds like a formula to follow.

They asked Gilbert on the court after the game if the old Gil was "back"....he sheepishly says that hopefully he is. Actually, I hope this is the new Gil. They guy who can get the points we need from him without gunning the ball, and the guy who is directly responsible for distributing the ball to his teammates.

See ya Friday against the T'Wolves.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Stephon Marbury a Celtic?

Ok, I made that up.

But everyone is talking about how Stephon Marbury's days with the Knicks might be numbered. And yes, no team is going to take the 2 years, $42 million left on his contract in a trade. But even if he is bought out, I really can't think of an NBA team that would reasonably sign the team killer. That being said, somebody would have to, right?

BTW, the breaking news found via Slam Online is that Starbury has gone AWOL.

So, in the event that the Knicks do cut Marbury loose, I've scoured NBA rosters to see which teams may just give the guy a chance. Starting with the least likely victim and ending with the most likely.

7) The New York Knicks - Really...would this scenario be that far-fetched? Isiah would have the new contract sent before he realized that the New York-born, former All-Star guard, that he could get on the cheap, was the guy he just cut.

6) The Sacramento Kings - Mike Bibby is going to be out for at least 8 more weeks with a torn thumb ligament. Plus the Kings suck this year, I picked them to finish with the worst record in the league. On top of all that, they are no longer selling out Arco Arena. So what are the Maloof brothers to do? What any shady casino owner would do...something crazy to sell tickets. Could you imagine Marbury and Artest on the floor at the same time fighting over the ball? Or just fighting in general. Personally, I wouldn't pay to see it, but maybe there'd be a chance for some PPV duckets. Or....they could use Starbury to guarantee a sabotage of the team so they could move the Kings to Sin City, The Major League Theory. The owner of the Cleveland Indians in that movie was a former Las Vegas showgirl...coincidence?

5) The Atlanta Hawks - You just feel like some of the high flying Hawks are deprived without a good point guard. Then you realize that they drafted Marvin Williams over Chris Paul and Deron Williams, and you start to feel sick to your stomach. Could you imagine either of them with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Josh Childress? Tyronn Lue and the perpetually injured Speedy Claxton just aren't cutting it, and Acie Law is just a rookie. Strike that...considering the latest with Josh Smith, not to mention terrible ownership, the Hawks don't need a potential triple dose of cancer.

4) The Indiana Pacers - Larry Bird has never liked Jamaal Tinsley. And I'm pretty sure that he hates Marbury. But think for a second, the Pacers are off to a halfway decent start. I certainly didn't expect them to be 3-3 at this point. So what if they are in contention for a playoff spot in the Leastern Conference? There couldn't be a better way for Larry Bird to stick it to that a-hole Isiah than by taking his cast-away on the cheap and flipping it into something.

3) The Miami Heat - Pat Riley is desperate. The Shaq window closing like a guillotine. Hell, I bet he even has the numbers of Jayson Williams and Keon Clark on speed-dial. Stephon would be a gift from heaven. Penny, Starbury, Smush and White Chocolate....if those names don't say 'And1 Championship', then I don't know what.....aw crap, let me just stop right there.

2) The Los Angeles Lakers - Mitch Kupchak to Kobe Bryant: "Hey, you said that you wanted some All-Star caliber help....now go f*ck yourself."

1) The Boston Celtics
- This might make the most sense. Here's a hypothetical conversation between Kevin Garnett and Marbury:
KG: What up man? Can't believe the Knicks cut you kid.

SM: That's a'ight son, it's been a tough summer. Funny thing is, Isiah was in that car with me. We tag-teamed both that intern and Anucha. That's the last time I share anything with that dude.

KG: Uh....(pause)...well anyway, what about coming to play for the Celtics? We could use the depth...and Danny ain't gonna pay you much. But still, we could recreate the good ol' days with the T-Wolves, with some more sharing of course. And, you got that shot at a ring.

SM: Aww...really KG?!? (said with child-like enthusiasm) For really real? You think they got a spot for Coney Island's Finest?

KG: Yea homey...but here's the deal, you ever seen that movie Full Metal Jacket? No? Well, let me put it this way, if you go all Private Pyle on us, we gonna strap you to a bed and beat you with bars of soap in socks until you're peeing out yo ass. Or, if you like vague 1983, Sean Penn, BadBoys movie references, it'll be Coke cans instead of soap. Do you smell what I'm stepping in?

SM: (walks over and gives KG a big hug)


Hey, it could happen. I'm just sayin'


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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Game 1: Washington Wizards Season Opener at Indiana

Well...when I can (meaning when I'm home watching the Wizards on TV), I will be writing a game blog/diary for the Wizards this year. Can't promise a consistent effort....so wish me luck.

Halloween Night - October 31, 2007

1ST QUARTER

Tony Kornheiser used to talk about the Curse o’ Lez Boulez.....is there now a Curse o’ Lez Wizards? Think about it...Injuries to Gilbert and Caron at the end of last year (btw, I'm not going to count Jamison’s knee thing..that almost was expected, at least to have one 4+ week injury on the team).

This year: Etan's heart condition. And now...boy did Haywood's knee go in an awkward direction when he fell over Diogu in the first quarter. He seems to be fine after that nice dunk. Then Stevenson to the locker room? Is this the way it's going to be all year? It's almost like we've all convinced ourselves that without the injuries last year....just look what the Cavs did. But now, that excuse is our greatest concern.

And Granger hits another 3..where is our transition D? Time Out Eddie Jordan. Pacers up 13-8. I know it starts with our offense (stagnant), but damn.

Whew...D-Shawn is back in the game. Still...when the way AD takes it to the rack, I'm cringing all around for this team. Didn't notice much from Nick Young’s debut.

Dunleavy hits a J...for some reason, I expect something from him this year.

Breakaway Butler dunk...gets it to 15-14 Pacers. No two better team captains in the NBA than Jamison and Butler. No, they haven't won yet...but I'd trust their leadership just like I would the Spurs team captains, Duncan and Parker?

Man, now Travis Diener is hitting 3s. Pacers up 20-14.

What? Steve Buckhantz just said that in addition to 100 school point thing, Gilbert is giving a grand each to all schools that were in the lottery. I would NEVER trade him for Kobe. NEVER. Speaking of...the hibachi is heating up. It starts with an Agent 0 steal and basket on the other end. Wiz are two down.

The quarter winds down looking a little ugly with some turnovers and fouls. Sometimes we just aren't getting movement on offense......but everyone is just getting used to each other and working out the season opener jitters.

Gilbert has the ball with 8 seconds left in the quarter....how is he going to handle this? How is he going to test that knee? What tone is he going to set for the season? Pull up jumper? Nope. Take it to the basket and get the foul. You just gotta make both FTs Gil!

2ND QUARTER

Let's hope Songalia's hustle is a virus.

Roger Mason, Jr. checks in to give Gil a little early season rest. Antonio Daniels, the third second unit guy in the game, comes up with a nice steal and bucket.

3 by Jamison and TO for the Pacers. Wiz up 4. Even without Etan, we are going to have a strong bench this year....nice to see those guys take care of a little business and regain the lead 32-28.

Guess I spoke too soon, Arenas is checking back in with a 2 pt. deficit, but Songalia's at the line for two.

I know Andray was in for a second earlier...remember him making nice move. But where is he now? I was expecting to see more of him. Ok, my bad...I just checked, he has two personal fouls.

I'm liking Haywood so far...he's been active and extending his arms to get to the ball and keep it alive on the offensive boards.

Jeff Foster is a funny looking dude. He reminds me of how Zach from Wedding Crashers would look if he were to play basketball. His jumper is, how should I put it...dainty? Why are his feet so close together? If Maryland does crab cakes and football, what does Indiana do? Basketball and beans?

Gil gets his first offensive foul of the year...7th Wiz turnover. Up 43-42, need to close the quarter strong.

The Rookie McGuire has made his NBA debut with a foul.

Wow, nice slam for Ike Diogu *[fantasy sleeper]* with 6 seconds left. Gilbert's second chance for a buzzer beater....do they chart a "most buzzer beaters attempted" stat in the NBA?....and he only has time for a jumper, which is a miss.

The Wiz end the first half of the season down 45-48.

Top 3 Stat Sheet Positives:
1. 9 rebounds (7 offensive!) for Brendan Haywood. Jamison also has 7, but we are minus 1 in rebound margin, to be expected with negative #1 below.
2. Arenas has 14 points on 5-11 shooting - not bad, not bad...liking what I see so far.
3. Forcing 13 turnovers from the Pacers (I'd like to see us get more than 11 points off of them though)

Top 3 Stat Sheet Negatives:
1. 34.8 FG% (1-9 from 3 point land)...like I said, jitters. Mostly for Tuff Juice, 1 for 8 on FGs.
2. Another % - 12-17 on FTs. Need to be above 78% this year if we expect to be a decent team...that's the factor that no one ever talks about. We shot 76.5% last year, 11th in the league. But to be elite, we need to knock that up about 2% points.
3. Dunleavy's 15. Ok, I did say I thought he was going to break out...but come on. Well, I guess someone has to pick it up with JO out.

Let's see if we can keep the positives and convert the negatives in the 2nd half.

Just switched over to the Cavs-Mavs on ESPN. I have a totally different perception of Ilgauskus now that he’s completely bald.

3RD QUARTER

Haywood remains active on the offensive boards....I just hope that Gilbert's rendition of improved D this year doesn't mean gambling in the passing lanes too much, he needs to at least put himself in position to recover if he does.

Nice start to the quarter BTW...Caron gets the steal and a bucket to put the Wiz up 8. Best to get out of a rut with easy shots like that. 13-2 run to start the half, up 58-50.

Diogu is really good at sprinting down the court in transition and getting that low post position...I've seen him do that a couple times already.

Classic Gilbert - jumps over some fans in the first row (after attempting to get a steal after a Wiz turnover), takes a 'one of those moments' tumble, gets up like nothing happens and says. "thank you thank you thank you" to the fans as he walks by the camera.

Not looking good for the Cavs on the other TV...down 35-21 with 9 left in the 2nd.

You really have the love the aggressiveness of Arenas..his attitude that we all know and love is providing a means to get confidently over his injury.

By the way….I'm not sure about Andray's half Mohawk fade that he hides under a headband. If you going to go Mohawk, go Mohawk....bald on the sides and hair strip needs to be thinner on top. Maybe even a little color.
Overall, with 4 mins left in the 3rd..it doesn't seem like the Wiz are playing as a cohesive unit as I know they are capable of...it will develop, I'm sure.

When you think about it, the little things add up on defense. Contesting shots, boxing out, active hands. These should be easy.

Gil picks up his 2nd offensive foul, hope this isn't the pattern for the season...both have been justifiable calls.

Gils hits a cut basket (and 1) with a smooth pass from Blatche..yea, he's back in the game and playing solid.

TV Timeout...and we have our first Gilbert Arenas limp knee-check of the year. Another one of "those moments' Like I said..is it going to be like this all year?

Well, LeBron is not biting his nails yet, but he sure has a look of frustration on his face while sitting on the bench, down 18 with just about 6:00 left in the second quarter. They signed Sasha Pavlovic, but really need Anderson Varejao if they expect to finish in the top 6 of the east…Chuck Barkley doesn’t even think Cleveland will make the playoffs.

And it was exactly that...just a check for Gilbert, he's ok and back in the game...for the moment. He quickly picks up his 4th foul with aggressive D, goes out with 1:52 left in 3rd and 23 pts. Nick Young comes back into the game with a turnover.

This is a wishy-washy, back-and-forth game. Tied at 70 at the end of 3 quarters. We are out there trying, I can see it...but we are not valuing the basketball. 6 turnovers to Indiana's 3 in this half.

4TH QUARTER

Stop the presses...did I mention that LeBron has ZERO points so far? 3:24 left in the half of that game. I am REALLY regretting selecting LeBron James with the #3 pick in my fantasy league draft the other night. I really regretted it as soon as I said his name. Why didn't I choose Gilbert? I already have LBJ in another league. Wouldn't a true wizards fan want to have G.A. in at least one league? But hey, LeBron was coming off a nice FIBA America’s, and Lasik eye surgery (improved shooting in both cases) and G.A. was coming off a knee. When money is involved, who would you have chosen? Garnett went #1 and Kobe went #2.. OK! OK! I was wrong, I'm sorry! I should have chose Gilbert. But I did have a nice draft in any case - in a 10 team Roto league…my starters:

PG – Baron Davis
SG – Monta Ellis
G – Anthony Parker
SF – LeBron
PF – LaMarcus Aldridge
F – Caron Butler (got one Wizard)
C – Dwight Howard
Utl – Gerald Wallace
Utl – Josh Childress
Utl – Andrea Bargnani
Bench 1 – Mike Bibby (inj.)
Bench 2 – Boris Diaw

Not bad, right?

Did you see what Haywood just did? 8:45 left in the game. Timeout now, but Diogu just went for a dunk with a clear lane. Haywood hit him on the arm, while going for the ball...and it just "looked" like a bad foul because of the way Ike D. fell, but it got a reaction from the crowd and Buckhantz wondering whether they'd call a flagrant. But anyway, as soon as the foul was committed, Haywood put his hands up in the air, palms facing out, a global gesture of peace. I think this action actually defused any potential situation.

If you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Jamison is an old dog up to his old trick shots.

In regard to ESPN's halftime report: Until Kobe actually does get traded, they should just create a new ESPN network dedicated solely to Kobe trade coverage. They can do this right?

While the Cavs do look bad with LeBron's goose egg....maybe it also involves the Mavs coming out on a mission. It's like jail; they were one of the three baddest in the ward. Hell, a #1 seed in the west....THE baddest. And they got taken out by the little guy trying to Jenga the top dog because they are new. Well, after getting taken down, what does the former bad man do? You’re perceived as vulnerable right now...you can't go punch the incumbent champ; you gotta punch the runner up in the mouth. Ok ok , a little over board..sorry, I get hyped up on opening night.

Really, I'm changing Brendan Haywood’s moniker from Brenda to Olive Branch, he just got fouled had with 5:10 left in the game and defused any potential situation again with a nice handshake.

Big FTs on the line...Wiz down 89-87 with 5 mins. left. Haywood sucks at these. Misses both, but makes the second chance after a lane violation. Down 1

Tuff Juice is a straight fighter....lot to be desired on the offensive end, but hustling in all other areas. If his hustle virus became a hybrid with Songalia's....and spread, we'd be a scary team.

The whole time, I've believed that we could confidently pull off a win. But now, I'm starting to get worried...BIG three from Jamison, down 94-93. 3:33 left. But really...I'm getting a little nervous about how things are shaking out.

Tinsley hits a lay-up and the Pacers go up 3 with 2:51 left, time out Wiz. Songalia comes in for Haywood, so this is how the close-out lineup goes song, Arenas Daniels, Jamison and Butler

FTs, FTs, FTs...GA misses the second of two, Wiz down 2.

Big shot by Caron ties the game...he is definitely the type of guy that no matter how cold he is, you still feel comfortable with him taking his next shot.

Buckhantz just said that Tinsley was runner up to “Who’s Your Daddy Battier” for college player of the year when he was at Iowa State...didn’t know that.

And Butler misses a clutch FT...BOTH of them. He could've tied the game at 98. He then makes a subsequent turnover...his 8th of the game. C'mon C-Buts!

Marquis Daniels hits a 3, is this a dagger? NOPE Jamison comes through once again! with a 3, down two.

Wiz get the rebound with 30 seconds left in the game.

Phil Chenier thinks GA will shoot a 3, but he drives...receives some contact, miss, no call, and the Wizards foul on the rebound. Confusion at first, but the foul was actually on Granger...probably not too much of a foul on Gilbert’s shot, but at least the refs get the