Washington

Fighting the Champs Part II

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Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services 

The Wizards beat the Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday but they will face them there again tonight, and this time Ben Wallace is listed as questionable. Last time, six Wizards gave the definition of balanced scoring by collecting 11 points a piece. What will happen when the two square off again tonight?

Two of the high scorers were Laron Profit and Billy Thomas, who are struggling to make the Wizards roster and whose onlyraison d'etreat this point is the flood of injuries that Washington has been experiencing. In fact, the return of Ben Wallace tonight might shore up Detroit's defense but it doesn't appear as if Washington will have its collection of stars ready to come back anytime soon. Kwame Brown's foot surgery is not going to heal overnight.

The Wizards seem to be passing the ball quite well and playing solid defense. They got more team assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks than the Pistons in their previous meeting. If they can repeat just that portion of their performance, they have a terrific chance as well tonight.

Regardless, it will be exciting to watch them take on the champs again. Nothing is better psychologically than knocking off the defending world champions. Well, one thing is better: doing it twice.

NEXT GAME
The Wizards travel to Detroit again to take on the defending champions. The game starts tonight at 8:00pm and will be broadcast on CSN and NBA League Pass.

TEAM NOTES
Tune into WTOP every weekday at 7:17 a.m. and 5:17 p.m. as the Wizards discuss topics on and off the court.

INJURY UPDATE
Steve Blake(recovering from surgery to remove bone chip in right ankle) is likely out till late November or early December.Gilbert Arenas(right ankle),Kwame Brown(foot surgery), and Etan Thomas(abdomen) all missed the last Pistons game.

NEWSLINES

Michael Lee ofThe Washington Postwrites: Laron Profit, a former standout at Maryland, understands his chances of rejoining the team where he spent his only two NBA seasons are about as slim as he is. Billy Thomas realizes that his shot at making the Washington Wizards is about as long as his range on the basketball court (his half-court shot at the end of the team's open scrimmage earlier this week not withstanding). With the Wizards battling an assortment of injuries, however, Coach Eddie Jordan has had to hold on to Profit and Thomas longer than many expected.They responded against the Pistons on Wednesday, scoring 11 points apiece and playing aggressive defense during a 92-83 win.

Michael Lee ofThe Washington Post alsowrites: In a first-person article in the current issue of Slam Magazine, Etan Thomas takes a shot at former Wizards coach Doug Collins when comparing him with Jordan."The difference between Doug Collins and Eddie Jordan is like the difference between Bush and Clinton," Thomas says in the article. "One only cares about an elite group of people and sees that group as the only ones deserving any rights, privileges, respect or dignity. The other sees the have-nots as being able to contribute to the overall goal."

John N. Mitchell ofThe Washington Timeswrites: Washington Wizards big men Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood, 22- and 25-year-old alumni of the 2001 NBA Draft class, remain unknown quantities heading into their fourth seasons.Unless the Wizards offer them extensions by Oct. 31, both could become free agents next summer. However, both are certain their own situations won't disrupt team unity.

Michael Lee ofThe Washington Postwrites: Larry Hughes has always been the type of guy who listens first and speaks second, although the second part doesn't always happen.So, when Hughes was riding high to the playoffs as Allen Iverson's sidekick during his rookie year in 1999, he paid attention when Philadelphia 76ers veterans Rick Mahorn, Harvey Grant and Doug Overton told him to hold on to that feeling because it was fleeting. "They said, 'Once you make it that one time, it's not given that you'll make it again,'" said Hughes, the Washington Wizards' soft-spoken shooting guard.

A. Sherrod Blakely ofMLive.comwrites: Ben Wallace is back, and his return couldn't have come soon enough for Detroit Pistons head coach Larry Brown.With Wallace being reduced to nothing more than a spectator throughout the preseason, Brown watched as Detroit's defense went from invincible to invisible without the two-time NBA defensive player-of-the-year award-winner. Wallace's first step in helping to re-establish Detroit's defense came on Thursday when he participated in his first contact practice of the preseason. Wallace, who has been recovering from an emergency appendectomy on Aug. 25, is listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Washington Wizards.