Washington
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Wizards finished their Western Conference road trip with a bang, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-106to make it three out of five for the trip and maintain their one-game lead over Chicago for fourth place in the playoffs, and home court advantage through two rounds. It was again the backcourt dynamic duo of Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes that punished Portland's guards. The two combined for 53 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals.
Yet the damage was not limited to the backcourt. Washington's front court was quite impressive as well. Kwame Brown continues flirting with double-doubles, pouring in 12 points and 8 rebounds. The best news yet is that he accomplished that in just 25 minutes and while shooting 50 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line. He also had an assist and three steals.
Etan Thomas showed just why he was so wooed by Milwaukee and so assuredly signed by Washington as he chipped in with a workmanlike 10 points, 14 rebound double-double. He also had two assists. Head coach Eddie Jordan's toughest challenge on this team, apart from getting them to play tough defense and then run the resulting fast breaks, has been to have the big men pass out of the post to cutters and shooters. His is a fairly complicated system but judging both by the assists by the big men and their record, he is getting it done.
NEXT GAME
The Washington Wizards (39-30, second in the Southeast) host the struggling but dangerous when ignored Atlanta Hawks (11-59, fifth in the Southeast) tomorrow night, Wednesday, March 30th. The game starts at 7:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on CSN and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
The Wizards have justeight home games remainingbefore the regular season concludes. Click here to get your tickets online!
INJURY UPDATE
Antawn Jamison(knee),Jarvis Hayes(knee), andBrendan Haywood (thumb fracture) are all on the injured list.Anthony Peeler(knee) is out indefinitely.
John N. Mitchell ofThe Washington Timeswrites: The victory was crucial for the Wizards (39-30) because the teams behind them in the Eastern Conference also won last night.The Chicago Bulls captured their sixth straight victory with a 94-86 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies to stay a game back of the Wizards for fourth in the conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers stayed within 2½ games of Washington with an overtime victory over the New Orleans Hornets. Washington has 13 games left in the regular season.
John N. Mitchell ofThe Washington Timeswrites: KEY NUMBER 5 Western Conference teams the Wizards have swept this season.That is the most since the 1996-97 season when they swept six. SEEN AND HEARD HAYES STILL OUT: Wizards forward Jarvis Hayes has been on the injured list since March 5 because of a broken right kneecap, and is not expected back until at least the start of postseason in late April. Hayes was averaging 10.2 points.
Michael Lee ofThe Washington Postwrites: It ended so much better than it began.After the Washington Wizards were blown out of Denver to start this Western Conference trip, the team's confidence was rattled and players began to grumble for the first time this season. That grumbling turned into bickering two games later, when center Brendan Haywood and Kwame Brown engaged in a very public dispute. But the Wizards were feeling quite good about themselves after they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 114-106, Monday night at Rose Garden. They came away winning their last two games, against Seattle and Portland, and finished 3-2 on the trip, giving them their first winning road trip against Western Conference teams since March 2000.