Wizards React Quotes: Get Bucked, But Don't Sleep in the Heat

I'll be checking out the Wizards-Heat game live and in person at the Verizon Center tonight.....assuming the Wizards don't lose and thus lead me to challenging my computer to a drinking binge (he edged me out in a close one last time), look for the live blog (well, not live live) on Bullets Forever.

Hey, at least Miami still has South Beach....

flickr/ipanemic

Quick Web Wizards:

>> Jamison is out, Stevenson is a maybe, and we have no idea who will start. [Wizards Insider]

>> "I'm going to try," said Stevenson. "I haven't missed a game, but the ankle is really hurting right now. I got treatment [yesterday]. Actually, it did swell up, but I'm going to try to go." [Washington Post]

>> "Blatche and Young will need to step up the way they have all season long. The coaches also must discuss defensive responsibility with Arenas so he doesn’t leave shooters wide-open at the end of games. There is good news though; the Miami Heat are coming to town tonight." [Les Bullez]

>> Is Antawn Jamison the black Homer Simpson? [the blowtorch]

>> Is Calvin Booth the black Nicholas Cage? [Bullets Forever]

>> Agent Zero was still ducking the media yesterday; Etan's still trying to get that sternum healed. [Wizards Outlet]

>> Go save some lives already! [My Swog is....]

>> DeShawn Stevenson's 80s Birthday Party Part II [DC Sports Bog]

>> DeShawn Stevenson's 80s Birthday Party Part II [DC Sports Bog]

>> "The Wizards remind me more and more of the Eastern Conference’s version of the Warriors crazy. Can you imagine the stories those guys have to tell?" [Slam]

>> Your 2003-2004 Washington Wizards: Straight Swaggin' [Mr. Irrelevant]

>> Wizards Fans Like To Dance [DC Sports Bog]


Ugh, Some React Quotes from the Bucks game:

[Live Game Blog] [Official Bullets Forever Run-Down]

>> "Yes, the youngster sunk a rainbow over the outstretched arm and disbelieving gaze of a three-time all-star, the comeback kid now in the middle of a crestfallen arena. Yes, this was about as deflating and bizarre a loss as can be imagined, alongside Michael Ruffin's gaffe a year ago against Toronto, in which Ruffin tossed the ball into the air thinking time had expired, only to watch in horror as Morris Peterson pulled it down and hit a game-tying three-pointer of an eventual overtime loss to the Raptors. And, no, we have no idea how Arenas felt physically or emotionally afterward because neither he nor Antonio Daniels, who knows he should have tracked down that tipped ball and ended the game at the foul line instead of being outworked by Sessions, stuck around to discuss the late-game meltdown." [Mike Wise - Storybook Finish? Not Exactly, Washington Post]

>> "So with that close-to-full complement of Wizards players, the team returned to their Eastern-Conference-leading-at-one-point ways by losing in heart-gouging fashion to a team so beneath them, playing defense reminiscent of last season's legendary squad." [DC Optimist]

>> "Sure the craptastic Bucks won the game on a buzzer beater, and sure Gilbert might have looked a bit slow at times, but I could care less. I was courtside for the best comeback involving DC Sports since.....well ever." [Awful Announcing]

>> "Agent Zero rushed from Verizon Center last night before the locker room was even opened up to reporters for postgame interviews. Hopefully he talks today and addresses why he lied on Sunday saying that he hadn't been cleared when in fact he had received the green light from the team doctor the day before. Maybe he'll explain waiting until the last five minutes of the first quarter to leave the locker room and join his team in the arena. And maybe he'll explain why he didn't go to his coach before the game and tell him that he was planning on playing. And maybe he'll explain why he was in such a hurry to leave after the game after he had made such a grand, attention-begging entrance during the game." [Mike Jones, Washington Times]

>> "Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld said he did not think the way Arenas handled his return was disrespectful to the coaching staff. "He made his grand entrance and he had his time," center Brendan Haywood said. "Now it's time to get back to business."" [Washington Post]

>> "You hope that DeShawn Stevenson and Antawn Jamison emerge okay, that Gilbert gets his swag back, and that the Wizards rise like the Terps always dreamed of doing. But if they don't, you can rest knowing that as long as you get fleeting moments of hope, even if they end in "NOT POSSIBLE!," you can lament knowing it will be worth the next game's price of admission." [Stet Sports]

>> "Are the Wiz Better With Gil? Seems to me there are two different versions of this question. As a viable D.C. sports enterprise, there's no question they want as many players who emerge from the locker room at odd points wearing custom-made shoes and enter games to standing ovations as possible." [Dan Steinberg]

>> "I got up yesterday hoping Wednesday was just a bad dream–except of course for the part about Gilbert Arenas coming back." [WashingtonWizardsBlog.com]

>> "Eight games left. A week ago the end of the season couldn't come soon enough, but between a modest win streak, Sessions' emergence as a legit player and Bogut's continued strong play, you'd be forgiven for enjoying Bucks basketball a little right now." [Brew Hoop]

At least Milwaukee still has......Beer?

flickr/incandenzafied

Gilbert Arenas Goes Backwards: Washington Wizards vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Like one of those so-called cool movies (not that I know an actual example), this is a tale that will be told backwards. It may turn disaster just like this Wizards game, but that would be fitting. The last play must bat lead-off. Frustrating, unnecessary mistakes, such as the one committed by Gilbert Arenas will keep the Washington Wizards from being a contender. Oh yea....that whole Curse O'.....(I won't type it this time) - Gil comes back and three Wizards get hurt? Karma-Vodoo-Inferno-What?

Meridian Hill Park, Washington, DC

End of the Fourth Quarter

Eddie Jordan's quotes after the game were very interesting: "I found out [about Gilbert playing]....he doesn't really tell me, but that's Gil........Let's say it wasn't through normal, proper channels, but I found out. That's it? Okay......." Exit stage right. [What the hell kind of professionalism is that? From hissy-fits to angry auto drives to game plan surprises......Gilbert is like that fake can of nuts loaded with springy snakes.]

Well, the Wizards are back to normal. The offense looks like a poor-man's Suns (which is pretty good) and the defense has lost it's damn mind. Gilbert was named Comcast's Player of the Game. Are you serious? This development disgusts me.

DeShawn limps off the floor....game over. 110-109 Milwaukee.

Ramon Fucking Sessions. Jesus F-ing Christ. The pass inbounds to Andrew Bogut (who had his BACK to the basket)...he immediately flips to Sessions in the corner. Of course, Gil was in charge of covering him...leaves too much room (AND turns his head away from Ramon)...Sessions gets the very quick shot off....it's good and that's the game.

Wizards are getting injured left and right. Stevenson's ankle....Jamison's something. What the hell is going on? Is it a full moon?

Oh no!!! Jump ball won by Butler, goes towards the out-of-bounds line, saved by Jamison, he takes a dive into the front row. Pass goes slightly over AD's head towards the Wizards end (AD could not be an NFL receiver) ...Sessions is quicker to the ball. Bucks possession, timeout. 1.1 seconds left. Well, the Nats won 1-0 while that jump ball was going on.

....AD is in for Gil. Ugh....I guess he's our next best option at guard on D. (BTW - Mo Williams is not in the game) Sessions baseline penetration on AD......pass to Villanueva in the other corner, he drives...pass to Bogut....he's open right under the hoop and Tuff Juice comes from the backside to knock the ball away. A Massive scramble ends in a jump ball between Butler and Sessions. In the process, Stevenson stepped on AD's foot and limps to the sideline.

Out # 2 for the Nats. Pop fly to left.

21 seconds left, Wizards ball. Do you go back to Agent Zero? 60% of me says no....but I'm going to trust Eddie Jordan's call......here we go. Arenas drives....leads a little with the shoulder, but gets tripped up by Sessions who is trying to get over a pick...Ramon trips Gil and sends him to the line. 2 made FTs stop a 7-0 Bucks run. Thank god the Bucks call timeout so Eddie can hopefully take Gil out the game on defense. 109-108 Wizards.

Out #1 for the Nats....Nick Johnson plays better D on the line than Gil.

Redd misses against Stevenson...Bucks almost get the long rebound. Ball in Gil's hands....takes a shot that was a little too forced. Haywood's multiple tips produce no results. Wiz get lucky...they lose Ivey on D, and he misses a wide open shot. Bucks still up 1 with 23 seconds left.

.....meanwhile, the Nats are going into the bottom of the 9th in Philly with a 1 run lead. Rauch for the save again...not Chad Cordero. Wow. And I just noticed, Philly only has 1 hit. Exciting games...how 'bout that DC sports scene?

Stevenson misses a lay-up, could've been a whistle......is it right for DeShawn? Nope. Bucks ball, timeout. 1:17 left.

Haywood is back in and what do you know: Bogut misses a gimme...but gets his own rebound on Brendan....and a put back. Bucks up 108-107.

Butler misses a long jumper....seems like we haven't heard from him in awhile. No points for Tuff Juice in the 4th, last scored with just over 5 minutes left in the 3rd......that's not a good sign.

Crap. Crap. Crap. First of all....a big thumbs down to the Verizon Center crowd. It's a close game and they are acting like they're watching a colon cleansing. I realize that it's the Bucks in town.....But really? --- Anyway, Gil goes for a layup....misses. Loose ball, tapped by Gil, recovered by Gil on the ground. Instead of calling a timeout, he throws the rock to an area containing 3 Bucks and 1 Wizard. Milwaukee down the court....basket AND1...stupid foul by Roger Mason Jr. Ivey makes the FT and it's a 1 point game. 107-106 Wizards.

Gil is able to get to the FT line with toughness. Makes 1 of 2. 107-101 Wiz.

Man, these Bucks won't go away. Royal Ivey, who had that big play in game #42 (a Bucks win where Royal hit a deuce with the shot clock at 0 and 6 seconds left in the game to put Milwaukee up 4) knocks down his 6th and 7th points of the quarter. 106-101 Wizards.

Andray Blatche again....making his presence known in the paint for the bucket and the foul...missed FT. He's getting some crunch time run. Sorry HAYwood. 106-99 Wiz.

What a play! Gil draws the defense again.....Songaila flashes in the paint and receives the pass. D-Song gets the Bucks moving so AB is open for the wrap-around assist and the dunk. 104-97 Washington.

Bobby Simmons makes Jamison look helpless on defense. 100-95 Wiz.

Roger Mason shows he should still be involved. 100-93 Wiz.

Villanueva keeps the Bucks relevant with a three...it's only a 5 point game.

Arenas dribbles around aimlessly (it appears)...what is he doing? Oh, he's moving the defense for a Jamison trey ball. Nice work Gil. Taking advantage of the attention he attracts will be key. 98-88 Wizards.

The Bucks are staying juuust out of reach. I guess that's good? I'm Ron Burgandy?

Steve Buckhantz pops the question to Phil Chenier: Cleveland or Orlando? Inexperience wins as Phil would rather face the Magic in the first round.

Mason Jr. with a trey......and something like that makes you say: Wow, the Wiz got a guy like that draining 3s off the bench now? Imagine if Jarvis Hayes balled like RMJ last year. 95-85 Wizards.

Steve and Phil talk about that dunk Nick Young had on Andrew Bogut the last time these two teams played, game #63. Nick got a T for taunting then.....and it's Brendan Haywood's fault. BTH told Nick that he was only a practice dunker (as re-told by Steve Buck)...but wasn't that after Burrito's dunk on Bron-Bron? (yes it was, that was in game 40)

Andray Blatche has played a solid game...even with 4 fouls. He has 11 points, 3 rebounds and a side of composed maturity.

The Wizards seem to be "floundering" - they shot a lot of their wad in the first quarter, but have seemed a little....drained?

End of the Third Quarter

Redd misses another FT...wow. Makes 2nd, 86-78 Wizards to end the 3rd. The Wizards are coming to double a lot when Gilbert is on D.

With three NBA all-stars in the game with him, Andray nails a jumper on Ruffin a step inside the 3 point line. 86-77 Wizards.

Michael Redd misses 2 FTs....then Gil loses control of the rock, but dives towards the sideline in an attempt to save...no dice. Knee looks okay. Handles, not so much.

To the Nats game in the bottom of the 7th......an amazing stab by Zimmerman at 3rd turns the DP and the inning is over. Still 1-0 Nats.

4:10 - Gilbert is back....I've got a feeling that the bad defense will not be getting any better.
The Wizards go to the zone look to compensate.

Seems like the Bucks have a lot of turnovers....NBA.com says 13 for the game, 4 in the quarter so far.?

Uh oh....Mo Williams hits an open trey at the top of the arc. 74-68 Wizards. Don't need him to get hot.

Andrew Bogut looks good just about every time he plays the Wiz, basket And1. He's got 17, 9 in the 3rd so far. 72-65 Wizards.

Butler is fouled kinda hard going to the basket....Villanueva grabs his right arm as he charges down the lane...Charlie follows though to pull Caron's arm down as well. After landing, Caron makes a aggressively grand arm back-swing as if he is still trying to get Charlie off him....lucky for Charlie V., he already released his grip. 72-62 Wiz.

The original starters begin the 2nd half for the Wiz. It becomes a battle for Jamison against Villanueva in the first 3 minutes. AJ wins with 7 points.

Right before the 3rd begins....Ryan Zimmerman pops his 2nd HR of the year. 1-0 Nats.

End of the Second Quarter

Well, the half is over and that is that. The offense looked well oiled....14 fast break points in the 2nd (and total). Gil dropped 12 off the bench.....to add to the 18 points that Nick Young, Roger Mason, Andray Blatche and D-Song combined to score - 30 off the bench, not too shabby. 61-54 is the total. 62.8% for DC is burning the nets (36 points is melting the paint)....but 57.1% for the Bucks has to be burning the lining of Eddie Jordan's stomach. In the half interview, Caron reveals that the team knew Gil would be back at shoot-around and they played like they had their mind right.

Wiz miss a fast-break oop to Caron....Bogut gets an uncontested dunk on the other end. A smattering of boos, not sure if they're booing the Aussie or the fact that the Wiz let that happen. 61-54 Washington.

Gil takes a seat in exchange for Nick with 41.5 seconds left in the half.

Redd miss. Jamison outlet to Gil in middle....over to Caron on the right wing....in to Haywood for the bucket. I don't think the ball touched the floor, caps an 8-0 Washington run. 61-50.

Gil Arenas draws a charge on Mo Will. Down the court, Mo tries to flop on the Lock Smith..DeShawn scores and laughs. 59-50 Washington.

Gilbert's first semi-explosive drive. Haywood gets a defensive rebound, and is pressured by Bogut. It takes him a second to get the outlet to Stevenson, who whips it to Gil. Arenas sees an open lane and doesn't hesitate....Gil weaves to score the lay-up AND1. But did you notice him jumping off the wrong foot? He shoots with his right hand....semi-going to the left, but jumps off the right leg....the good leg. Gil misses his 1st FT. 57-50 Wizards.

Oh yea, Wizards can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Pacers loss. The Pacers are down 39-24 to the Celtics right now. Michael Redd and his 5 points in one possession won't go away. 53-49 Wizards.

Every time I see Nick Young....I can't help but think of that comment that one hoe-bag once made, "He looks like his breath might smell like onion rings." Meanwhile....Nick takes the elevator for a dunk.....and then a twisting layup after a D-Song strip. 48-38 Wizards. The Wizards offense is looking pretty damn good....with or without Gilbert in the game. I think his presence has given a boost to the entire team.

Comcast's Chris Miller interviews the CEO of Legal Seafoods.....and why? They share stories about letting Red Auerbach smoke a cigar in his restaurant....even after the smoking ban. Aw, how cute. Legal Seafoods is really not that great....it's to Red Lobster as Wendy's is to McDonald's.

Gilbert Arenas goes back to the bench. Young, Mason, Blatche, D-Song and McGuire...all lead the effort for Washington off the pine....or is it now plastic? Vinyl? Suede?

End of the First Quarter

Arenas missed a step-back trey from the top of the arc at the buzzer. But Gil is back indeed with 10 points in 5 minutes. He's not a distributor, but he's not a driver either. Only non-jumper came on that first cut play within the offense. The Wizards are hot as a team, 14-20 (70%) to 56.5% for the Bucks. The Bucks have 3 offensive rebounds and 8 assists (to 1 and 5 for the Wiz) - after one quarter, it's 33-30 Wizards. DC got an early 9 point lead, but the Bucks hung around after that.

Another Gilbert three....in Yi Jianlian's face. Every Wizard is looking out for Gil on D....he's trying to keep up with Mo Williams Haywood lumbers out near the Bucks coaches box to double....Mo Williams would later get an assist to Bogut for the basket. Tie game at 27.

Mo Williams makes a hard baseline cut on Gil....Butler must help, lane is open up for Bogut. But Gil goes down and nails a long deuce.....and then he nails a trey after a Desmond Mason layup. Gilbert was wide open both times....did Milwaukee think he wasn't going to be gunning? Arenas lets Mo Williams score...and then Gil commits a charge....the Bucks go down and take the lead (guess who? Mo Williams again). 25-24 Milwaukee.

Gilbert gets some nice ovations....Eddie runs a back door play for him right down middle of lane (pick from Brendan....Bogut wasn't paying attention to help) .....Gil gets an easy reverse layup within the offense. 18-14 Wizards.

Coming back from commercial, they show Gilbert coming out the locker room. Not sure when he actually came out.... it seems like just now. Gil has an angry/'I just woke up' look on his face. Curiously, Arenas is on the bench without a warm-up top.....barely a play runs out of the timeout and Gilbert gets the call to check in the game. He was probably backstage warming up on a bike. I'll dedicate some time to paying attention to Gil now....since that's what he wants.

Stevenson gets blocked and looks for a call (doesn't get one).....yet the Bucks can't take advantage. Since their timeout at the 9 minute mark, it's been an 8-3 run for Milwaukee.

For some reason, Charlie Villanueva gets caught defending Haywood twice....no contest. 1 FT and a FG. 16-10 Wiz.

As go timeouts.....Milwaukee (Villanueva) drives down the lane, misses, but Bogut gets the board and put-back. Stevenson, not having gunned a shot yet, takes and misses....Bucks get points. DeShawn misses again. The Bucks miss. Jamison turns the ball over (a little extra defensive attention from Milwaukee) and that leads to a Villanueva lay-up. Just like that, it's 13-10 Wizards.

I'm glad that Caron Butler is on the court. At the first timeout 3 minutes into the first, the Wizards take a 13-4 lead, making all six of their shots.....7 points coming from Caron. Left open, he did not hesitate to knock down outside jumpers.

Steve Buck and the scuttlebutt says that Gilbert will dress in his #0 uniform tonight. At the start of the game, Comcast's Chris Miller is left on the bench and at the alter, wondering about the whereabouts of Gil. Who cares?

The wrist is not getting worse......so Antonio Daniels is on the floor tonight. The report is that he will need surgery and 3 months of recovery after the season.

Herrow.

flickr/mr woo

Washington Wizards Pregame: Milwaukee Buck Quickie

Milwaukee Art Museum - flickr/Luiz Castro

Did some scouting last night and watched the final 7 minutes of regulation, along with the overtime of the Milwaukee Bucks-New York Knicks game....in Beer Town. What was I thinking?

The Bucks went on to win 119-115 (the most points Milwaukee has scored all season).

Here's what you need to know:

• Micheal Redd was Michael Redd - 36 points, 12-22 FGs, 4-9 from long distance, 9 assists.
• Surprisingly, Wizards Killer, Mo Williams, received little playing time - 5 points in 22 minutes. His defense on Jamal Crawford was horrendous; Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak opted for spark-plus Ramon Sessions instead.
• Andrew Bogut is playing with a big mask. He missed the last two game with a broken nose, but dropped 24 and 13 last night.
• Former Wizard Bobby Simmons broke out the doghouse with 24 points off the bench. Bobby has played a total of 27 minutes in the last 6 games, including 4 DNPs. Overall, Bobby hasn't exactly panned out since signing a 5 year, $47 million contract with Milwaukee after winning the NBA MIP with the LA Clippers in 04-05. He also missed the entire 06-07 season with an ankle injury.
  

This Year
Washington has faced Milwaukee three times, winning twice.

• Game 31 @ Milwaukee: Washington smacked Milwaukee 101-77. Micheal Redd didn't play and Mike Hunt bashed Herb Kohl and the franchise in the papers.
  
  
• Game 42 @ Milwaukee: Washington went on a wild 11-0 run in the final 74 seconds of regulation to send the game into OT. But Mo Williams would hit two 3s with 80 seconds left in the extra period to pull out the win for the Bucks, 105-102.
  
  
• Game 63 in DC: Wiz won a "must win" 105-93. Jamison was a warrior and Nick Young contributed 22 off the bench.

T Seeking GM for ROF
In case you don't get it, the Bucks are looking for a new General Manager for the rebuilding of their franchise. The son of Del Harris, Larry, is out. The latest interviewee: Suns executive David Griffin. And it looks like Donnie Walsh has finally been eliminated as a candidate, so the search continues. Tommy Sheppard, the Wizards VP of basketball administration is also among those the Bucks are considering.

Go ahead and read this: Wizards' Sheppard likely to be running a team soon [Ian Thomson - SI.com, March 29, 2007]

Brew Hoopin' - check out this Milwaukee Bucks blog for the game preview from their perspective.

Wanna see a Yi Jianlian Top Ten 'Dunk' Video? I thought you did!
(According to whomever put together this video, 'dunk' is evidently like 'sheep' - same word both singular and plural)

I also like how the musical score for said video is none other than 1992's Rump Shaker by Wreckx-N-Effect. No one is sure whether Yi Jianlian was born in 1987 or 1984.....in any case, this song probably pre-dates his conception. The clip was posted a year ago, I guess the lag time for popular music to make mainland China is circa 15 years.

While we're at it -- Wikipedia 'Rump Shaker' Fact of the Day: "Rump Shaker" is also notable for featuring a verse (performed by Teddy Riley) written by a young Pharrell Williams, who, along with fellow future-Neptune Chad Hugo, contributed additional production work as Teddy Riley's then-protégés.

Don't forget to check this odd Yi Jianlian milk commercial:

Huh? I know right....well, go check out Just Another Bucks Fan's interpretation of the Yi Jianlian commercial. JABF subsequently moved over to Brew Hoop and produced Part II.

I'm not even going to mention the latest Gilbert Arenas ordeal here. I'll be back later tonight with the game blog.....so I'm sure I'll have some thoughts then.

Wizards React Quotes: Hollywood Divorce and Jazzy Remorse

I got home from the Washington Nationals opener just in time to catch the last 8 minutes (incl. OT) of the Wizards-Lakers game. I know, I know.....I gotta get a DVR - all the kids are doing it. Nonetheless, what I saw of the Nick Young show was highly entertaining. I was probably more into that game [meaning yelling loud enough to make my neighbors wonder] than I have been for any other this year. I could be labeled as a Laker-hater, but at least the Wizards covered the 9.

The Wizards-Jazz game? Read the live game blog if you dare. [Wizards Game #74 @ Utah Jazz] Surfing around the blogosphere, the obliteration seemed to be expected, especially with the absence of Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels due to injury (not to mention Gilbert and Etan). Yea, well maybe I expected it too. But it would've been nice to see the Wizards take some pride and get scrappy. Oh well. At least the Wiz are at.....home sweet home?


The Reach Quotes from Cali to Utah.......

Dig of the Week
"This is where Abe Pollin's insistence on not paying the luxury tax combined with the injury issues have really hurt this team........From my seat, this team has needed a quick, defensive-minded point guard type coming off that bench all season and simply hasn't had one. [Ivan Carter]
-- Of course, criticism of Abe Pollin has been around the block and then some....including making several stops on my street.

Who Does # Two Work For?
"Well the trip didn’t end on the best of notes, but the team still went out west and held their own and cameback home still holding down the 5 spot in the east. [WashingtonWizardsBlog.com]
-- Way to tow the company line guys. In the least, let's go ahead and add a 'barely' in front of 'held'......unless the the goal of the Wizards was to play from behind in every game.

Los Angeles Lakers

" It had the makings of a Disney movie. With his Washington Wizards trailing his hometown Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant — the player he grew up idolizing — rookie Nick Young got the call and had the game of his life. [Washington Times]

"Ugh. Washington finishes the quarter [1st] on a Brendan Haywood dribble drive. Without getting too deep into the particulars, that shouldn't happen. [LA Times Lakers Blog]

"Stevenson goes down and is banged up, a guy that never flops. And the Staples crowd boos. Nice. Go back to your copies of Vogue, people. [Hardwood Paroxysm]

"Question, how is that the Wizards drastically improve their shooting after they hire a fantastic shooting coach, yet other teams in the NBA don't seem to be catching on? I mean, why was Hopla even available? If he's as good as his results seem to indicate, I imagine this guy would have been snagged by the Spurs or something. [My Swog is Phenomenal]

"Both squads were scorching from downtown, the Lakers hitting 14-27 (52%) and the Wiz knocking down 17-30 (57%). Overall, the home team was 50% from the field and the visitors 47%. Thus, tonight marked the first time where two teams sported a better three-point percentage (with a minimum of 27 attempts per side) than straight up field goal percentage since the addition of the arc itself. [LA Times Lakers Blog Recap]

"Nick Young was really flowing last night and it was fun watching him react to the performance....Even Lakers fans were rooting him on, especially the folks sitting court side. [Wizards Insider]

Jazz Game

"A playoff team cannot get beaten like that. I know the Jazz are very good at what they do and the Wizards defense (especially at the end of a road trip) is not good at defending the 3 or quick guards, but this kind of loss should have embarrassed the team. I hope it embarrassed the team. [Les Bullez]

"Simply put, the Jazz are really, really good. I bet their lockers are made of rich mahogany. [My Swog is Phenomenal]

"I honestly felt like we should have called off the dogs a little...nah. This was too much fun. The most interesting thing that came from the Wizards was DeShawn Stevenson's beard. We need more beards in this world. [My Utah Jazz]

"I'd personally like to apologize for anything (anything!) that we might have said or did in the recent weeks and months that might have offended the Utah Jazz, the state of Utah, the USS Utah, Jazzy Jeff, jazz hands, or even Kenny G. [Jake on Bullets Forever]

"OK, so nobody could have predicted a blowout of such gigantic proportions -- not with Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer sidelined with injuries and the Jazz starting C.J. Miles and Ronnie Price in their place. [Jazz Notes: Salt Lake Tribune]

"It's not fun to lose, but it's always fun watching a Jerry Sloan team execute," Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said. [Washington Post]

"It's not fun to lose, but yet it's a pleasure watching a Jerry Sloan team execute," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. [Washington Times]

* Hmm....I wonder who is misquoting Eddie Jordan.

"Coach Eddie Jordan said the team will go through an extensive shootaround tomorrow morning to prepare for the Bucks. [Wizards Insider]


Next up: The Milwaukee Bucks and Yi Jianlian. That's right, I said Yi Jianlian. Yi Jianlian is coming to DC......to play in Chinatown. How is he not tomorrow night's 'one to watch?' What you don't know is that Yi Jianlian is an American Bad Boy. Yi Jianlian is bad just like this guy. They should be friends.

Game 63 Blog: Washington Wizards vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Big News of the Night
Mo 'The Wizard Killer' Williams will not be seeing action. Mo from Mississippi dropped 13 points, 3 assists in a January 4th Washington rout and 25 and 5 (along with 6 turnovers) in a January 27th Milwaukee Bucks overtime victory. Mo Williams had 8 of his 25 and 1 assist in the final 1:19 to lead his team to victory. So, as goes Mo, so go the Bucks. I shouldn't even have to mention the history. But why is Williams out? The reports on ESPN say pubic symphysitis.....yikes, that doesn't sound fun at all; the life of an NBA player takes a toll on the crotch region I suppose.

Eddie Jordan recognized the exhaustion of his team against Charlotte on Saturday. The Wizards have had two days rest, at home. Not doubt that I'm taking the Wiz to run away with this one. I'm giving the 6.5 and taking over the 202.

1/4

9:01 - Brendan Todd Haywood with some cherry picking and a dunk.

What I like to see DeShawn doing: Driving to the hoop, attracting defense, and dishing to Brendan Haywood.......instead of throwing up a junker from outside.

I always think...."I'd rather a player take it to the hoop" when I see them miss a semi-open jumper, especially when it's a big man. Andray just took a semi-open step back with Bogut on him. Blatche got decent position on a man from Down Under, after good flow in the offense Bogut on off movement then iso.....12 ft.

4:54 - AD just took us back to age 26...splitting the D and throwing down a wicked dunk. Game tied at 14.

4:31 - Momma, that man with no eye brows just made a face after he scored. I feel bad for Villanueva; because of his condition, he has like half the facial expressions that the rest of us. That's why Charlie V has a blog.

Ovechkin is at another Wiz game. Hey, if this guy can become a basketball fan.....I can certainly start attending a couple hockey games.

2:30 - Dan Gadzuric.....as Steve Buckhantz reminds us he is an Ernie Grunfeld pick....is coming up with o-bounds and a lot of activity for the Bucks on D, also forcing a TO.

As they talk about Jamison's back, maybe his new nickname can be The Offensive Contortionist.

After 1, the Wiz lead 26-22. Washington shot 50% from the field, but it seems like they should be up by more than four. The Wizards showed some decent offensive flow; four turnovers provided the main set back.

Charlie Villanueva was 5-7, scoring 10 points in all fashions, from all over court.

2/4

Slam called Brendan Haywood "stubbornly immobile".....he looks so on a move to the basket. Bogut gambles, but BTH took up enough space between himself and the ball, allowing the lane to be wide open for a clumsy move and dunk.

9:17 - Andray gets a deflection, steal from Charlie Bell and one of the most agile break-away dunks I've ever seen by a big guy.

7:55 - Nick Young takes one for America. He yacks a huge dunk on Andrew Bogut and taunts the Aussie big man. Body up son! Normally, I'd be mad at this juvenile act. But nobody talks about Americans like Bogut did and gets away with it. Yea, Andrew may have been right, but only Americans can talk about other Americans.

7:38 - Bogut has some moves on O, but can't finish. Soft MF

After chastising Young City.....Steve Buck says, "that was some dunk" about a minute later.

6:05 - Blatche is taking Villanueva's play as a challenge and is getting him back with blocks and moves to draw a foul. Makes one FT, Wiz up 39-31.

4:20 - Bogut gets going a little, 12 points....Songaila is simply not big enough for him.

3:52 - Nick Young tries to dunk on Bogut again....too bad he is going from the left side with his right hand. Bogut sends the ball right back to him. But damn kid can jump.....throws down a wind mill on a fastbreak 30 seconds later.

2:40 - The Nick Young Show is getting some high ratings. A strong move to the basket and 8 points, 48-37 Wizards.

1:13 - Not sure about the Bucks perimeter D....the Wiz are driving through the swiss cheese. Bogut is there to defend sometimes..... but that only opens things up for a Nick Young three.

0:45 - An alley....oop? To Brendan Haywood. He was running and receiving a lob from AD in the corner. Perfect fast break offense, ball didn't touch floor. Caps a 15-2 run leading to a Bucks timeout. 55-40 Wiz.

0:14 - Dominic McGuire is the perfect 9th man....and rising. He'll have a long NBA career doing what he does, like an offensive rebound and pass to BTH for a dunk.

Half-Run-Down - 57-44 Wizards

• Haywood: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks.
• 23 points off the bench (1o from Blatche, along with 5 rebounds, and 11 from Young).
• A. Daniels: 5 assists - 0 turnovers, only 5 team turnovers.
• Much more energy than Charlotte game, especially on D - holding the Bucks to 36%.
• Running in motion on offense, 55.3% from the field on 16 assists
• Charlie Villanueva has 15 points and 8 rebounds.
• 15 offensive rebounds for the Bucks, astounding.

3/4

Wiz start off 2nd half with backcourt pressure.

10:07 - A dose of Royal Ivey and Villanueva taking advantage of Darius Songaila in the first two minutes give the Bucks a quick start, cutting the Wizards lead to 58-51 before an Eddie Jordan timeout.

8:33 - D-Song gives Bogut a little music of his own: A jumper and a nice switching drive on the Aussie.

6:04 - Doesn't matter.....Bogut ties the game at 63.....and then at 65 with a dunk. The Bucks have scored 21 in the 3rd, the Wizards 8. Hope they didn't blow their wad using up all their energy in the first half.

At this point of the game, Steve Buckhantz finds it proper to consider Eddie Jordan for coach of the year.

Ovechkin is still eating.

It's hard to believe that Caron has missed 16 consecutive games.

3:04 - Fool to fool. Andray Blatche makes Charlie V look like a fool with a spin move for a hoop in the post. Michael Redd comes back down and hams up Nick Young, getting to the basket and drawing a foul. Nick Young cries arm push, yet, goes back down the court and hits a 3 on Redd. Andray bothers Villanueva on the inbounds, causing the ball to go off the back of the backboard, Wizards ball. Nick Young turns it over against Redd. The Bucks goes down in transition and Blatche fouls Villanueva, 2 FTs for him. Quite a 4 player cycle in 60 seconds.

Roger Mason Jr. comes in.....at 1:45 mark. Don't remember him being in the game earlier. Evidently he was on the court for close to 7 minutes.

1:28 - Eddie Jordan has had a lot of practice with the "Being Frustrated by the Defense of an Offensive Minded Guard" face....that's why he's able to give it so easily at the sight of Nick Young trying to guard his man.

0:38 - Nick Young.....confused about what to do with the ball in transition and only Charlie Villanueva between him and the hoop, appears smart by pulling the ball back, there wasn't much available. But then he makes up for that good act by almost double-dribbling and taking a forced miss.

0:01 - But Bean Burrito is learning....a strong move by The City closes out the 3rd as the Wizards barely hold on to a 2 point lead. 79-77. Young has 16 off the bench...he's earned some end of the game run.

4/4

9:57 - DeShawn Stevenson has himself on lock down tonight - 2 FG attempts, 2 misses, this one coming on a long jumper set up by Nick Young penetration.

The Wiz are able to get back to up 10, 95-85, with 6:40 left....despite Michael Redd dancing his way into the paint a couple times. After 5 points in the first half, he has 17 now.

4:51 - Nick Young checks out with a career high 19.

5:48 - Jamison's head is not in it....Roger Mason calls for the ball, but AJ doesn't assess the situation as the telegraphs his pass. Turnover.

4:51 - On a subsequent possession....Jamison commits his 8th turnover for the game. At least he has 21 points on 10-19 shooting to go with that.

3:39 - Michael Redd is a good, good player. He's not going to lead a team to glory, but put him on a team like the Bulls, and Chi-town just might be in the conversation again.

2:00 - With a chance to cut the Wiz lead to 5 with two minutes left, Bogut tries to do a little too much, a spin and a bad attempt. AD gets two FTs on the other end and the Wiz take the 100-91 lead.

1:30 - Nick Young, deservingly back in the game, takes it all the way to the hoop. A new career high. I've never seen him attack the basket as he has in this game. Check that....attack the basket in a reasonable manner. Right now, his 22 is on 9-15 shooting. I've only seen him take one bad shot.

Bogut's miss hurt, but Young sealed the deal with his basket.

0:40 - Despite the turnovers, Antawn goes to the locker room early a warrior.

What was touted as a must-win, a must-needed win, all over Comcast came to fruition tonight.

In the post game interview....Nick Young still sounds like a little kid. I keep thinking that cookies and gummy bears are going to start falling out of his mouth.

The final is 105-93 Wizards. They covered the 6.5 spread, broke the 202 over, and most importantly, stay a game and a half above Philly for the 6th seed in the playoffs.

NBA.com Box Score

NEXT UP: The Cleveland Cavaliers at home on Thursday

Live Game 42 Blog: Washington Wizards @ Milwaukee Bucks

Great game between the Celtics and Magic today, but a bitter-sweet win for Orlando. I certainly cannot find myself rooting for a team from Boston. And I like Türkoğlu, they're calling him Mr. 4th Quarter in O-Town and I think he deserves an all-star nod this year (not sacrificing Jamison or Butler of course), but the Wiz need to Magic to lose. I want that SE Division.

Michael Redd didn't face the Wizards last time. At first it looked like he was going to play tonight, but he hurt himself in the Bucks last game against Toronto and will not see the court.

Lotta sports going on now. G-Tech just made it a game with UVA. The Lakers and the Cavs are on....didn't think I'd find myself rooting for the Lakers either, but I'd also like the home court advantage in the playoffs. Dook and Maryland come on soon.

But the Wizards-Bucks are front and center, so let's start the show....

1st Quarter

I read somewhere that the Bucks have been going to Andrew Bogut in the post a lot more lately. And as Phil Chenier just mentioned, the matchup between him and Brendan Haywood will be interesting to watch. I think BTH will body the Aussie up and hold him below 15 points and 8 rebounds.

In the first seven, Haywood has definitely established an inside presence on both ends. He's pulling in 2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks so far.

I know that Caron is deceptively quick with his 2.3 steals per game and ability to play the passing lanes. But it's not all physique, Tuff Juice must be one helluva smart player too. I bet he's a scouting report junkie. I predict that rubbing off on the young kids, D-Mac, O-Pech, The City and AB.

The Wiz built a 12-4 lead, but Eddie calls a timeout with just over 2.5 minutes left in the first after a Yi Jianlian long 2 and a Bogut inside hook makes it 12-8. Not the most exciting game so far as the two teams are a combined 9-30 from the field. At least the Wizards have forced 4 Buck turnovers while they've only committed one.

Laker ball, down 3, 20 seconds left....and craziness ensues. D. Fisher 3 miss, Turiaf rebound and put back. 1 point game. Laker pressure and the Cavs turn the ball over as the would-be receiver, Boobie Gibson, slips (the clock with 13 seconds after Turiaf's bucket never starts). The ball winds up in Vujacic hands, he gets it to Kobe who misses a 2 footer under pressure. The rock then pops all over the place, winds up in the hands of Damon Jones going to the floor, and the Cavs call timeout. At first, they only take 1.5 off the clock, it winds up being 3. Can't believe the Kobester was given the gift and blew it.

Meanwhile, at the end of a poor 1st quarter, the Wizards are up 17-15. Both teams are shooting in the low 30s. Caron Butler already has 2 steals.

2nd Quarter

In the Laker game, LeBron makes 2 FTs and the Lakers can't even get a shot off before the buzzer, they got the ball with over 8 seconds left, but Kobe's passing cost them the game. He thought he was getting the ball to an open Luke Walton, but Luke bumbled the ball, tried to get it back to Kobe...but by the time that happened, Bryant's shot came after the buzzer. Way to pass superstar.

Nice 7-0 run to start the second for the Wiz. The kids are in, Nick Young is playing smart and Andray Blatche is erasing Milwaukee shot attempts. 24-15 Wizards at the first timeout. with 8:34 left.

5:58 - Andray Blatche did not get called for a goal-tending when he should have...just like in the Georgetown-West Virginia game yesterday. Charlie Bell, the shooter, ended up getting fouled by Nick Young and made 1 of 2 FTs. 29-23 Wizards with under 6 minutes left.

4:24 - Good ol' White Hole....an errant/loose Wizard pass kinda rolls into his hands....Pech immediately fires the rock up. Poor shot selection, especially since the jumper was out of rhythm.

About 4 minutes left, the Wizards lead 31-25. It's still a grind it out game, with poor offense, a lot of fouls, and a growing turnover count. Steve Buck makes the comment that Milwaukee is just "getting after it" more than the Wizards.

Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm just sent me an IM via Google: "Oh, Lord, Avwee Storey is putting in significant minutes. It's clearly the End Days."

Close to it, I told him, "The Wizards better wake up...last time we heard from Avwee, he was getting arrested with Gil in South Beach."

It's now tied at 31 with just under 3 minutes left. Not sure if it's a lack of communication or what, but the Wizards zone is not accounting for Milwaukee cutters, especially Storey with his 6 points.

1:08 - And the ex-Wizards continue to kill as Michael Ruffin is snatching offensive rebounds...I always was a fan of that guy. He sets the standard for hustle swag.

0:33.7 - Mo Williams, Notorious Wizard Killer, nails a 3 to give Milwaukee their first lead of the game at 38-35.

The first half ends in disappointing fashion. The Bucks out-scored Washington 17-6 in the last 4:20 of the second to take the lead at 40-37.

The Stats - The Wiz are getting out-rebounded by 6 and are 14-40 from the field. And someone needs to do something about those 6 assists to 7 turnovers.

3rd Quarter

4 minutes into the 3rd, 51-46 Bucks, Steve Buckhantz says: "Bogut is just having his way inside." Crap, I should have never said anything about him. 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists for Andrew so far.

6:01 - Caron makes his 64th and 65th straight FTs, cuts the Buck lead to 2 at 54-52. Caron is showing out with 17 points to this point. It looks like he needs to put this Wizards team on his back for them to win.

5:30 - Maybe a BTH fadeaway baseline jumper to tie the game will turn the tide in favor of Washington.

5:10 - 67 FTs in a row for Caron....I thought he was going to miss that last one. Wiz take back the lead at 56-54. DeShawn layup on the other end makes the Wiz run 10-0.

3:08 - Then Milwaukee goes on to score 7 straight points of their own. Washington can't lock down the paint and this is opening up things outside.

2:17 - Case it point, a Bell trey makes the run 10 and the Wiz are back down 4, 64-60.

The 3rd ends and the Wizards are still having problems with cutters through the lane, but they are able to keep the score tied at 66....thanks to 12 points from Caron in the period. DeShawn Stevenson is having a bad shooting night, going 1-8 from the field. But as a team, the Wiz went 9-17 with only 1 turnover in the 3rd.

4th Quarter

11:02 - Awvee Storey gets a "How bout that?" from Steve Buck as he hits his 4th bucket, giving him 8 points.

9:20 - Michael Ruffin has 3 points, a FT and the bucket he just hit. You know things aren't going Washington's way when that is happening.

8:03 - Damn, Bogut is still killing and definitely on his way to exceeding my expectations with 14, 10, and 6. 75-70 Milwaukee.

I've been so into this game that I completely forgot about Maryland-Dook on my other TV. UMD is up 55-52 with 16 minutes left. Not a fan of Maryland....but anytime that anyone can beat Duke, I'm all for it.

5:40 - Haywood's.....err...Dave Hopla's two FTs get the Wiz within 1 at 77-76. The time to make a move is now.

Too many offensive rebounds for the Bucks tonight, 12 - Yi has 4.

3:24 - Butler nails a 3, he's just about the only confident Wizard on the floor. That keeps the damage to 2, 81-79 Bucks....that is, until Charlie Bell hits another trey. 20 points off the bench for him...really?

Down 7, 2:43 left...this is not looking good. The Aussie makes it 9 with 2 left.

1:42 - Another Wiz turnover, more Bucks points...90-79. Now, I'm starting to get pissed. A loss like this will get to me much more than a blowout to Cleveland. For one, the Bucks are 17-27. Two, their star Michael Redd is not playing tonight. Three, the schedule. Milwaukee is a team that Washington needs to beat with Toronto, Toronto, Utah and the LA Lakers up next.

....and as I am typing a "HOW DO YA LIKE THAT??" from Steve Buck. DeShawn Stevenson, who was shooting 1-9 with 2 points on the night, just hit two 3 pointers in a span of 14 seconds. The Wizards are down a manageable 5 points with 1:26 now.

Defense please.

0:50 - And it happens, but the Wiz can't take advantage with a Butler runner miss and a Mo Williams steal off Haywood after the offensive rebound.

0:27 - Butler hustle on D....simply wanting the rock more than the Aussie.

0:22 - Wow...AD gets fouled, but only makes 1 FT. Jamison then gets the board over Yi, hits the quick hook AND gets fouled. 90-88 Bucks.

0:21 - Oh my...Jamison misses the And1 FT, but Butler gets the rebound AND the putback!! Tie game at 90. An 11-0 run for the Wiz in 74 seconds.

Milwaukee ball, 20 seconds left.

More defense please.

Whew....Mo Williams miss. Game is going to OT. I had a bad feeling from previous experiences with Mo, but he couldn't pull off the game winner this time.

The Wiz need to jump on a distraught Bucks team early in OT. Meanwhile...Duke is now up 75-73 with 7 minutes left. Yup, that one is over.

Overtime

3:52 - Jianlian hits a smooth deuce to start the OT.

3:30 - But the Lock Smith says NOPE! He hits another 3, 93-92 Wiz. Welcome to the show indeed DeShawn.

3:05 - Royal Ivey gets fouled, yet another Buck finding a seam in the Washington zone. He makes 1, but Bogut gets a putback. 95-93 Bucks.

2:35 - Caron Butler trey....how did these two teams find the energy to make this a game when it was so lethargic earlier.

2:18 - Caron Butler steal, breakaway layup, foul, And1, FT. 99-95 Wizards.

Caron Butler has absolutely monstered the Wizards back into the game.

From Tuff Juice to Clutch Juice to Takeover Juice. He's hitting Milwaukee with all kinds of flavors. Game: 37 Points. 2nd Half: 26 Points. OT: 6 Points.

And he's actually playing with a straw in his mouth....For some reason, I thought that was just a practice thing. It hangs out of his mouth during timeouts, but goes completely in there during the course of play. Isn't that a dangerous choking hazard? Whatever, it's all you Juice....it's all you.

1:19 - A huge Mo Williams 3. 99-98 DC.

0:47.6 - A huger Mo Williams 3. 101-99 Milwaukee.

The first one was off a screen in the corner. That second one, he was just allowed to catch and easily shoot from the top of the arc.

0:30 - Stevenson missed a 3 on the other end. The 3rd bad offensive possession in a row for the Wiz. The Bucks get the ball and call a timeout. 21.4 seconds left in the game. 16 on the shot clock.

0:06 - Oh. my. lord.....Royal Ivey hits a long 2 just as the shot clock was running down. A fade-away high-arching step-back. 103-99 Bucks, 6 seconds left.

Tuff Juice 3 with 0:02.7 left. It's not over just yet. I wish the rest of the team came to play like he did. 40 points, a new career high for him. I'm pretty sure he'd rather have the dub.

Mo Williams at the line, unfortunately, the Wiz have no timeouts and Milwaukee has a foul to give.

Williams makes both. The Wiz inbound to Jamison around half-court and he immediately throws up a shot. He had time for a dribble, but it would've been too risky to do so.....like I said, the Bucks had a foul to give.

Well, this one really hurts. After going on an 11-0 run in 74 seconds at the end of regulation to tie the game and send it into over time, the Wizards succumb, once again, to the Magic of Mo Williams...even after building a 4 point lead with 90 seconds left in OT. Yup, Mo could not hit the game winner in the 4th quarter, but those two OT three-pointers in a row sure were a dagger.

As Day-Day told Clay Davis in the last episode of The Wire (#3).....the Wizards need to "Focus Muther F@#*ker" and take care of business in these next 4 games. At least 3 of them are at home.

NBA.com Game Info

"We just couldn't get out on those three shot and that was the game right there."
-Eddie Jordan talking about the 2 OT threes by Mo Williams and the one long deuce by Royal Ivey.

Game 31 Live Blog: Washington Wizards @ Milwaukee Bucks

Everyone is talking about the story written by Michael Hunt in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

From top to bottom, the Bucks continue to stumble along without the kind of leadership necessary to be a successful and innovative big-league enterprise. They talk a big game every year about things changing, about things getting better, but they never do. If anything, they stay in the same mind-numbingly predictable state of soft and dispassionate play, infuriating those who care and alienating those who would give the Bucks one more chance to clear up their stale act.

Herb Kohl has surrounded himself for years with the same inner circle, and the results speak for themselves. They regularly fail to place the right people in positions to make winning decisions, squeezing the potential right out of this once viable and proud organization.

Ouch. That surrounding himself with an inner circle thing about Herb Kohl sounds familiar.

Bullets Forever Preview

USA Today article Butler, Stat-Sheet Filler

1st Quarter

Andray Blatche and Yi Jianlian and the Toyota "One's to Watch" tonight - and I'm really searching for AB to step it up on a consistent level.

And most everyone knows that Michael Redd will be out tonight.

I believe that the last time the Wizards were in Milwaukee, Tuff Juice had a great game, but hurt his hand at the end. Yup, Caron Butler had 19 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes before breaking his hand, April 1 of last year.

10:00 - Butler drills a 3 pointer...even about a foot and a half beyond the arc. Showing out for Racine, huh?

9:08 - Yi hits a long jumper -- AJ was slow to rotate back to him. You really have to respect his outside shot. This time he was a step inside the 3, but I've watched him a decent bit on NBA League Pass this year, and he has no hesitation to pull the trigger.

8:00 - Haywood with a nice block on Bobby Simmons after he got an offensive rebound. BTH's timing has really improved, but he foot quickness still needs much improvement.

6:37 - Timeout Milwaukee, Wizards are up 11-4. Milwaukee just hasn't taken care of the ball so far, making it easy for the Wizards. Three turnovers for the Bucks, off three steals by the Wiz. Mo Williams usually does well against Washington (especially remembering that buzzer beater). This game, he doesn't seem very assertive in his play.

So what was Wizards shooting coach Dave Hopla's x-mas bonus? Did it come from Haywood or the team? BTH is shooting 71.7% from the FT line so far this year. He best season before this one, 63.3% his second year in the league.....54.8% last season.

This match-up between Antawn Jamison and Yi Jianlian is fun to watch -- probably because they are both bad defensive players with interesting offensive games who at least give the appearance that they are trying.

Yi is definitely talented in an athletic way, very smooth. But it's easy to see that his basketball IQ has a long way to go. His game decision-making does not seem to come natural at times.

There's been a Michael Ruffin sighting.

The first quarter ends with the Wizards up 23-10. Washington has been solid, but the Bucks have been horrendous. You can already hear a billion restless Chinese. The Bucks have 6 turnovers, 5 of which were Wizards steals. Milwaukee is also shooting 25%. I like that Washington is shooting 52.9%, but 5 turnovers is too many. The big two, Jamison and Butler, are leading the way with 9 and 7 respectively.

2nd Quarter

Steve Buckhantz can't stop talking about Mike Hunt.

10:40 - Wow, the Wizards left a wide open lane to Royal Ivey and he absolutely blew the baseline layup. Antawn, Darius, Caron, DeShawn, and Antonio.....Eddie is not going to like that kind of defense.

9:24 - Timeout, mad Milwaukee fans...angered more because of a non-call against Royal Ivey when he was going up for a shot. The ball was out of his hands, but he kept flying into the defender and hit the deck hard afterwards. I wasn't privileged to the replay, but I'd unbiasedly say that it was a good "no call" - 31-12 Wizards.

More bench is in the game now. Mason and D-Mac join Darius, Antonio and Caron. We need the bench to start stepping some games up. Aaaand the offense immediately becomes stagnant. EJ needs to figure out a way for D-Mac to develop confidence with the ball during games.

I wonder if sitting last night, among other recent criticism, has been a detriment to Songaila's confidence. He has come in and hurt the defensive rotation, this being a huge step down in the defense of the paint after Haywood went out. D-Song also just committed a bad turnover. Bucks cut it to 10, 33-23. 5:40 left.