[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 69, Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors; contributors: Rashad Mobley, Adam Rubin and Kyle Weidie via television broadcast.]

“Go to the basket?” [John Wall kindly requests that Klay Thompson make his way toward the basket.]

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The Washington Wizards start the second half of their season to nowhere with the ol’ road-home back-to-back. Tonight they’re in Milwaukee, where they lost their third game in as many at the beginning of the season to the Bucks 102-81 (where Roger Mason Jr. also played without being eligible), and tomorrow night they return to D.C. to take on Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Want to check out some key Wizards mid-season stats? Click here. Otherwise, tonight’s 3-on-3 features Kevin Chouinard (@AnaheimAmigos) of Behind The Buck Pass, along with TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Bucks PF Ersan Ilyasova is averaging 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds over his last five games, highlighted by 29 points and 25 rebounds in a recent win over the New Jersey Nets. Washington starting PF Trevor Booker has emerged as a key performer for the Wizards and is averaging 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds over his last 14 games. Which player will come out on top in their match up?

KEVIN CHOUINARD: Amazingly, both Ilyasova and Booker are 24 years old, even though Ersan debuted in the NBA back in 2006. Among qualified players, Ilyasova has the sixth-best rebounding percentage. He’s relentless at tipping the ball until he gets it. Ersan is also the Bucks’ best and savviest interior defender with Andrew Bogut out. On the other hand, Booker has a chance to develop in the ways that Ersan hasn’t. Booker is assertive in traffic; Ilyasova pump-fakes himself out of rhythm. He can’t catch the ball on the move, and he has zero post game. It’s all tip-ins and jump shots for Ersan.

ADAM McGINNIS: Both Ilyasova and Booker are playing some of the best basketball of their professional careers in the past month so this should be a key one-on-one battle. Ilyasova is a tough guard because he can scrap down low and has ability to knock down 3-pointers, shooting just under 39-percent from long range. Booker’s low-post game has improved; he is able to get shots off effectively with both hands and he is shooting a respectable 50-percent from 10-15 feet.  The key will be if Booker can stay out of foul trouble, as this plagued him in the Sacramento loss before the All-Star break and rendered him ineffective. Ilyasova will get his points but Booker will make him work for it, and Trevor will have a bounce back offensive back game.

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[The DC Council -- After each Wizards game: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the bench, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is over the table. Game 3 contributors: Rashad Mobley, Arish Narayen and John Converse Townsend.]

Score

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[Editor's Note: TAI's Adam McGinnis takes us back to his photos from 'Under the Hoop' when the Milwaukee Bucks were in D.C. on March 8.]

The Opening Tip.

Bucks Warm Up.

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{photo: A. McGinnis, TAI}

The Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards were coming out of an official timeout with 7:31 left in their game on Tuesday night with Milwaukee leading 84-61.  The Wizards only mustered 31 combined points in the second and third quarters while the Bucks put up 53, and the game was all but out of reach as a result.  Still, Wizards coach Flip Saunders wanted to make a last ditch effort at a comeback so he subbed in John Wall, Trevor Booker and JaVale McGee for Yi Jianlian, Kevin Seraphin and Jordan Crawford.

After a made free throw by Milwaukee rookie Larry Sanders, Wall dribbled down the court while being pressured by Bucks guard Earl Boykins and eventually had to give the ball up to McGee.  McGee took the pass, but could not immediately give the ball back to his point guard for him to set up the offense because Boykins was pestering Wall as only the 5’5″ Boykins can do.  McGee even motioned for Wall to come to him, but no such luck from Wall in getting separation.  Instead, McGee, who was just inside the foul line at that point, made the executive decision to not look for anyone else, put his head down and dribble toward basket.  Although he was bailed out by a hard foul from Andrew Bogut, he missed both free throws and the possession was wasted.

Conversely, with 6:56 left in the third quarter, Brandon Jennings and Bogut found themselves in a similar situation.  Jennings passed Bogut the ball in the high post and expected to get it back, but Wall prevented a return pass from happening.  Instead of hesitating, waiting and panicking as McGee had done with Wall, Bogut intelligently waited for Jennings to create an open lane, then he drove decisively and dunked on a flailing McGee.

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In the last couple of weeks, the Wizards have faced teams that are almost assured to be playoff-bound.  The Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets would all be in the playoffs if the season ended today, and barring injury, a big mental breakdown, or the loss of Carmelo Anthony via trade, all three teams figure to be playing after the season ends in April.

When the Wizards took on the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night at the Verizon Center, they were facing a team that currently finds itself just outside of the playoff picture (a game and a half behind Indiana for the eight seed in the East going into last night’s game).  Injuries to Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings, Drew Gooden, John Salmons and Michael Redd (who has yet to play a game this season),  left Coach Scott Skiles with limited options,  the team has struggled as a result.  Former Wizard Earl Boykins and Corey Maggette have done their best to carry the team, but even their yeoman efforts haven’t saved the Bucks from inconsistent play, and a disappointing 20-31 record.

Tuesday night against the Raptors, the Bucks had a healthy Brandon Jennings (who returned from a broken foot a little over a week ago), a semi-healthy Andrew Bogut (he’s battling a bone bruise in his knee), and a healthier, attacking John Salmons (he’s recovering from a sore hip) in the starting lineup.  The Bucks played with urgency on offense and stifled the Raptors on defense, holding them to 74 points (36-percent from the field), and they were victorious, 92-74.

Before last night’s game, Scott Skiles explained discussed why his team must continue to play with type of urgency.

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Now, this dunk wasn’t on, on Australia’s Andrew Bogut, but we’ll include him for diplomatic reasons. Turkey’s Ersan Ilyasova getting smacked around by Los Angeles’ Nick Young is really the big winner here.

One of the first things that comes to mind when looking at a picture like this is that there’s no way he’s making it to the rim.

He did.

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[Ed. Note: Ryan Gracia is currently a junior at George Mason University studying journalism and sports communication and has followed the Washington Wizards for years. On Wednesday against Milwaukee, he tracked the progress of Wizards rookie Kevin Seraphin and reports below. -Kyle W.]

Seraphin Makes Good With Little Time

by Ryan Gracia

With JaVale McGee picking up two fouls less than six minutes into the game against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night, Flip Saunders turned to his second first-round pick in the 2010 draft to answer the call. It’s been quite a journey for 17th pick Kevin Seraphin in his first season in the NBA, but he’s made the most of his opportunities on the court – for the most part – despite erratic playing time.

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Some people have a poker face.
Flip Saunders has a turnover face.

As previously mentioned in the last screen shot post of Wednesday’s Wizards-Bucks game, Washington had the same amount of turnovers in the third quarter as they did points. And that common number would be 12. For the heck of it, let’s chronicle each turnover (and a couple of other things) in screen shots and words.

It’s cold in Milwaukee. These turnovers are colder.

TURNOVER #1 – 10:04 >> You can’t see Randy Foye in his picture, but he is right behind the defender in the white circle. Read more »

Ok, a screen shot post. I don’t do these often enough,  here goes …

First, a disclaimer: Sometimes an opponent makes good, (relatively)unstoppable plays, and sometimes the defense isn’t up to snuff. Since defense wins championships, these screen shot posts tend to concentrate on the correctable defensive plays. So, sorry NBA millionaires if you are criticized and nitpicked too often. That just how it goes.

Because of the 8 pm start time, and then Duke-Maryland, I could only muster myself to re-watch the first half of last night’s Wizards-Bucks game, one where the Wiz lost 100-87. I’ll likely try to watch and chronicle the second half tonight, but I’m sure that a third quarter where, I believe, the Wizards had the same amount of turnovers as points (12), will be especially “fun” to watch. And yes, I realize this re-watching of Wizards defeats makes me seem a tad insane.

The Bucks are the Bucks. They are a playoff team, in the Eastern Conference … where sixth place is equivalent to “on the outside looking in” in the West. Still, no one thought the Wizards would really win last night. But they fought hard. They sorta tried. And as expected with this still young team, they more so got in their own way of winning than the other team. Although, do give Milwaukee credit.

{1st Quarter}

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