It Wasn't a Win as Much as it Was Losing Less Than The Other Team: Wizards 106, Kings 104

by JakeTheSnake on Mar 16, 2009 7:12 PM EDT in Recaps Comment 12 comments

Box Score
Game Flow
Post Recap
Times Recap
Wizards Insider
Outlet

Highest Plus/Minus: Andray Blatche (+11)
Lowest Plus/Minus: Mike James (-6)
Best Five Man Unit: Mike James, Dominic McGuire, Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche, Darius Songaila (+13 to start the game)
Worst Five Man Unit: Mike James, Dominic McGuire, Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche, Darius Songaila (-8 to start the 2nd half)

Four Factors

	Pace	Eff	eFG	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
SAC	93.0	111.8	48.8%	26.2	31.1	14.0
WAS		114.0	51.9%	32.1	21.1	15.1

Photo of the Game

(Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Game Thread Comment of the Game: "The Kings aren't that good. Don’t sweat them. Trust me. I’m telling you as someone who watches many of the Kings games this season. They’re not worth worrying about." by pookeyguru

Friday night the Wizards lost in about the noblest way possible to a very good Orlando Magic team. Last night the Wizards won in about the worst way possible to the worst team in basketball on their home floor. Let's review what we'd be lamenting if the Wizards had lost last night.

Perhaps everyone was caught up in the March Madness hype and thought they only had to play 40 minutes as opposed to 48. After hitting a three-pointer with 8:03 to go, the Wizards did not make another field goal for the rest of the game.
On the next to last possession with the Wizards down by three, the Wizards leave not one, but two shooters open around the three-point line.
After catching a lucky break when Garcia got caught with his foot on the line on the shot that would've tied the game, Mike James misses a free throw on the other end that would've made it a three point game.
Now with the chance to go for the win or the tie, Kevin Martin (who shoots 42.7% from beyond the arc, head and shoulders better than the next best shooter on the court, which means he should probably be the one given the most defensive attention) gets a clean look at the top of the key that would've won the game. He missed the shot, but he couldn't have had a much better look at the basket.

Last night is just another great example of why basketball is interesting. Sometimes you can execute amazingly well and come up agonizingly short and other times you can play absolutely abysmally and still manage to win. It's the drama that's going to draw millions of fans to March Madness this weekend and what keeps games that have absolutely no playoff value interesting.

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Funny that you quoted me Jake

To be honest this statement mirrors the Kings had they won the game instead of the Bullets.

Friday night the Wizards lost in about the noblest way possible to a very good Orlando Magic team. Last night the Wizards won in about the worst way possible to the worst team in basketball on their home floor.

You substitute Cleveland and Sacramento, and that’s basically the same statement. 2 bad teams going at it with some good effort (well better for the Kings as of late—I don’t follow the Bullets well enough to know how they play game to game) .

This is interesting:

Perhaps everyone was caught up in the March Madness hype and thought they only had to play 40 minutes as opposed to 48. After hitting a three-pointer with 8:03 to go, the Wizards did not make another field goal for the rest of the game.

One of the things that I have a problem with this group is that their mojo has been off. I’ve said it a few times on StR, and I’m not sure that I just underestimated this group all told, but I’ve said this Kings teams is a mediocre team having a rotten season. I think I have the wrong team. I think that’s probably a more accurate statement of the Bullets. After all, they’ve got Arenas, Jamison and Butler (in no order of importance), and have a strong chance to add another quality player through the draft and a top 5 pick.

To be honest, a lot of the talk around StR is what’s going to happen when Washington is going to pay luxury tax this upcoming season (their salary is projected around 76 million and the luxury tax is projected to be near the level it was at this season—71.15 million—or a million + dollars lower) and are trying to coming up with scenarios in which taking salary off Washington’s hands nets the Kings Washington’s high pick this year. Personally I don’t see that happening, but that’s me. Abe Pollin is one of a few owners who can afford to take the luxury tax hit over time to not throw away a player in the short term to not pay luxury tax (which will not be as much of a payment next season because New York and Dallas’ salaries are going to be slashed quite a bit for them).

As far as the drama of the games, I agree that’s true about the NCAA tournament. Less so about NBA games. Most of the time casual fans think that it won’t matter in the end because the same teams contending for the championship will be there at the end. That’s just the way the NBA is. What I find funny is that the expectation for unpredictability in the NCAA is a bit overstated as there is a Cinderella (like George Mason LOL), but at some point, a team with legitimate national championship hopes ends up winning the whole thing. It’s a few of the teams with those same legitimate hopes, that end up losing are the generally greater surprise overall.

As a Kings fan the greatest pleasure to me was seeing that Hawes & Thompson played so well. After that, seeing the team compete down to the end was nice. Seeing your favorite team get blown out by 45, albeit by the Celtics, is not a very fun endeavor.

Again, congratulations on the win.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

I am the stone that builder refused..I am the visual...The inspiration..That made lady sing the blues....I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.....The same spark that lights the dark....So that you can know your left from your right...I am the ballot in your box....The bullet in your gun...The inner glow that lets you know...To call your brother son....The story that just begun...The promise of what's to come...And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won....

by pookeyguru on Mar 16, 2009 7:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for your well thought out input

It’s been nice reading the commiseration of another fan of another stinky team.

Two things I’ll disagree with:

• I don’t think Abe is the moneybags you take him to be. I’ve always considered him in the lower segment of the league’s owners. Funny that you have a different perspective out there.

• The team hasn’t been called the Bullets in a long time. I’ll assume your repeated usage of the word was a tribute to better days long ago.

by MR on Mar 16, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know

The team changed their name in 1997. It’s just one of these things I won’t do. I catch myself writing ~~Wizards~~ and erasing it and writing Bullets instead. If I was a fan of the team I’d accept it, and ultimately hate it.

2 things about Abe Pollin: The value of the franchise has grown by leaps & bounds since he’s started to own the team 45 years ago. Even if he sold the franchise at, say, an eigth of what the franchise was worth 3 years ago, then he’d still make a bundle over what he paid for the team originally.

The 2nd is that a guy who is a “billionaire” can afford a few extra millions when it was his decision to re-sign Jamison and Arenas over the summer to the deals he did.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on Mar 16, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The team changed their name in 1997. It’s just one of these things I won’t do. I catch myself writing Wizards and erasing it and writing Bullets instead. If I was a fan of the team I’d accept it, and ultimately hate it.

Love it. You call them whatever you want. Zephyrs. Packers. Sea Dogs.

I think the value of the franchise isn’t that important to Abe, as I assume he won’t sell during his lifetime. I’m not sure he’s really the “billionaire” type like the Dolans or Cuban. I think it’s partly a cashflow thing and to be honest partly a “we have set a limit and we are going to try to stick by it” thing. That said, I have no information or insight that leads me to believe that other than my observations and reading the news media. Abe HAS been pretty adamant about sticking under the cap, but this year many of us are speculating that he’s decided to break it if necessary.

Again, thanks for your input. It’s been a pleasure having you around.

by MR on Mar 16, 2009 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Funny

That the best 5 man unit was also the worst 5 man unit….

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Mar 16, 2009 8:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the summary, one quibble

Jake, I think you may be a little harsh on point #4. To my eye the replay shows an obvious offensive foul on the player setting the “pick”, a term I put in quotes because he looked more like a blocking back in football then a basketball player. Hard to fault the defender in that case.

Taps sure looked steamed at the end of the game, I assumed it was either that or the possible Martin travel on the same play.

by MR on Mar 16, 2009 8:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Probably

I’m admittedly bad at judging legal picks and charges, but that looked like it should’ve been called, so I’ll give the defense some credit there. Then again, refs almost never call that in late game situations so they can’t expect to be bailed out by the whistle in that situation either.

Also, on a second viewing Juan contested that shot better than I gave him credit for, but I still think we were mighty lucky that the shot didn’t fall.

Bullets Forever: A blog dedicated to the Washington Wizards with analysis, commentary, and more YouTube videos than your eyes can handle.

by JakeTheSnake on Mar 16, 2009 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right on all counts

It probably would have been called earlier in the game, but the refs are reluctant to make an offensive call at that point.

by MR on Mar 17, 2009 7:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Give away basketball

The Wizards did everything they could to give the game to Sacramento:
Failing to score a field goal for the last 8 minutes of the game…..
Turning the ball over 4 times in the last 8 minutes….
Committing 5 fouls in the last 8 minutes (including a Technical on the cool headed “veteran” Jamison)…..

And Sacramento did everything possible to give it back:
K-Mart, one of the best FT shooters in the League, missed 3 Free Throws in the last 4 minutes.
The normally stoic Hawes got hit with a Technical with 5:57 left.
Nocioni called for a Lane Violation on a Free Throw at 3:08
Garcia with his toe on the line when the Kings NEEDED a 3-point shot.
K-Mart using a moving screen, traveling, getting an open look, and still can’t hit the game winner.

Weird, “Twilight Zone” kind of game…

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Mar 16, 2009 9:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs