Washington
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
What do you call it when your backcourt combines for 54 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals leading your team to victory? If you're the Washington Wizards you call it business as usual. Washington defeated a Utah team at home that lost Andrei Kirilenko for the season with a broken wrist after just three minutes when a Keith McLeod steal in the final seconds led to what looked like a game-winning layup but ended up being a blown shot thanks to tight Arenas defense. Washington won 85-84.
Kwame Brown has continued his rounding-into-form performance with 11 points and 8 rebounds. He was also the proximate cause of Kirilenko's season-ending injury as he fouled the Russian to the floor. Both players agreed it was neither malicious nor intentional. Kirilenko explained, "I jumped and lost my balance and fell down on both my wrists. I felt like something was wrong. I didn't feel like it was broken, but I felt like it was a bad sprain." Brown noted that the loss was "definitely... a blow to them," but was quick to apologize: "There definitely wasn't any malice on my part. I'm sorry that it happened."
While both Arenas and Hughes attempted more than 20 shots each, no other Wizard attempted more than 6, and that figure belonged to Etan Thomas. Brown had field field goal attempts and a very impressive five offensive rebounds in the win.
This was Washington's first win at Utah since 1997.
NEXT GAME
The Wizards (37-29, second in the Southeast) continue their five-game Western Conference road trip with a visit to the LA Clippers (31-37, fourth in the Pacific) TONIGHT. The game starts at 10:30pm Eastern and will be broadcast on CSN and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
The Wizards have just eight home games remaining before the regular season concludes. Click here to get your tickets online!
INJURY UPDATE
Antawn Jamison(knee),Jarvis Hayes(knee), andPeter John Ramos(foot) are all on the injured list.Anthony Peeler(knee) is out indefinitely.Juan Dixon(ankle) is questionable for tonight's game and might be out the remainder of the road trip.
The Associated Press writes inCNN/SI: Gilbert Arenas had two choices.He could foul Utah's Keith McLeod, but with the Washington Wizards leading only by a point with seconds remaining, two free throws could have given the Jazz a win. Option II was play tight defense and make McLeod's attempt as difficult as possible. Arenas went with the second choice, and McLeod's shot bounced off the backboard and rim and missed just before the final buzzer as Washington hung on for an 85-84 win Thursday night -- the Wizards' first in Utah since 1997.
Michael Lee ofThe Washington Postwrites: Even after he hit the decisive basket during the Washington Wizards' 85-84 win against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, and even after he lost the ball with seven seconds remaining and gasped for breath as Jazz guard Keith McLeod's running layup bounded off the rim as the game ended, guard Larry Hughes said he didn't think that the Wizards "squeaked by." "I thought we were in control," Hughes said.
John Mitchell ofThe Washington Timeswrites: Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan has not talked to Larry Hughes about the guard's recent displeasure with the team's focus on getting the ball inside and running more set plays.Instead, Jordan addressed it and indicated it was not a problem. He also said that, even though he has an open-door policy and encourages any of his players to walk through it if they have a gripe, ultimately he makes any final decision.