Oh well

by Mike Prada on Jan 16, 2008 1:48 AM EST in Recaps

Box Score.
Game Flow (not available)
Post recap.
Times recap.
Live blog.

Highest plus/minus: Oleksiy Pecherov (+6)
Lowest plus/minus: Nick Young (-14)

Some of you are getting hysterical over this result, which I can understand, considering we're talking about the freaking Knicks (and their trash-talking bloggers). Personally, I'm with Jake in thinking this isn't that big of a deal. We were clearly gassed, much like the Pistons, a much better team than us, were last Sunday. I knew we were going to lose at the very beginning of the game. Quentin Richardson gets a steal, and starts stride for stride with Caron Butler. Richardson accelerates, and Butler starts jogging instead of going after him. He was simply exhausted from his work the other night, and you know what? That's okay. It's a long season, it happens.

I guess the only real thing we can take away from tonight is that Antonio Daniels matters more than anyone wants to believe. Roger Mason once again had good box score numbers in his place, but the offense was very inefficient without AD out there. We're blessed to have perhaps the league's premier backup point guard playing behind our injured superstar.

There'll be more tomorrow, including a look at AD's impact and yet another round of answering the increasingly vigilant "this team is better without Arenas" voices, helped by an unlikely source. For now, though, time to sleep off this flu.

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the good news

the man you guys call o-pec is quite a character. i'm sure you already knew this, but i really like the dude. he's can j, too.

Posting and Toasting: Unabashed Knicks fanaticism with the occasional poop joke.

by Seth @ Bullets Forever on Jan 16, 2008 1:54 AM EST reply actions

definitely not the worst loss of the season

and it doesnt hurt as bad as the francis shot at verizon last year. i still would have liked to see more stamina at this point in the season. 4 games in 5 (or 6) days in june will be a lot harder, but it will sure help to have AD back and a fresh legged gil. lets see them crush the knicks back home and we can all forget about this.

by facekdr on Jan 16, 2008 7:22 AM EST reply actions

the only given in the NBA

is that teams playing the 2nd game of a back to back on the road rarely win/cover. It's pretty much money in the bank. last night closing line wiz -2.

section 433 seat 17

by jackpitt on Jan 16, 2008 8:01 AM EST reply actions

2 days off

and the Knicks again. If we emerge from this 5 game stretch with a 4-1 record, then I think we will all be happy. Granted, we expected the "1" to be against the Celtics.

by hotplate on Jan 16, 2008 8:29 AM EST reply actions

Only one thing could have saved us

The only way I thought the Wiz would win is if the Knicks shot themselves in the foot (which isn't too much of a stretch, really). But they didn't. Playing the fourth game in five nights is rough enough, but doing it on the road after two physically and emotionally draining games against the best team in the league, well, it's gonna take a miracle.

Prada wrote:

We're blessed to have perhaps the league's premier backup point guard playing behind our injured superstar.

Amen. AD's struggled with his shot at times, and in finding his role, but he's always played the way a PG should -- as a leader who keeps everyone on the same page and gets everyone involved. Mason is a nice shooter who has had some good games when starters went down, but he's neither a leader nor a playmaker, and we lose a lot when he has to assume a different role from what he's good at.

I'm pretty disappointed with our bench. Young, Blatche and Songaila combined for five points. If we were going to get this one, it was gonna be on their production. Instead, none of them showed up. Pecherov got some threes, so that's nice, but cripes he's a chucker.

"Now, obviously individual production does not unilaterally equal better team production, but there's a high level of causation."

by Vanilla Gorilla on Jan 16, 2008 9:32 AM EST reply actions

I didn't get a chance to watch the game.

But I'm not surprised about the outcome. I think people are overlooking one thing: four games in five days in FOUR CITIES. Atlanta then D.C then Boston then New York. Yeah, they're all on the East Coast and the flights aren't that bad, but its a lot easier to get rest when you just have to drive 20 minutes home after the game.

It seems like the Wiz were obviously tired as hell, and you'll drop one of these every so often. I'm not worried about it.

The Washington Wizards: providing career scoring nights for unknown opposing bench players since 2004.

by mamemimo on Jan 16, 2008 10:18 AM EST reply actions

I agree - not worried

Now if they lose on Friday, then that will be something to talk about but I think with coming back home and getting some rest - we should be hopefully be okay. I only saw a few minutes of the game but they really looked tired out there.

by ooba on Jan 16, 2008 11:52 AM EST reply actions

Substitutions

One thing that Eddie did that I like is that he went to the bench much earlier in the first quarter than usual. He put Young, Blatche, and Songaila in after only 8 minutes. Seems like he noticed the starters' lack of energy and the early 10 point deficit and gave the bench a shot at bringing us back. It didn't work, but I like the fact that he was willing to change things up on a night when it was obvious that the starters were off.

by hotplate on Jan 16, 2008 1:37 PM EST reply actions

The benchs excuse of youth

We needed our bench last night to come up big early and often. They didnt, they have been very good throughout the season in support of the starters but we needed them to come up big and they havent done that as much as they are capable of.

Someone needs to tell them that being young isnt a reason to not play well when the opportunity arises. That 2nd unit should have better chemistry and come out with more fire. Someone needs to fill them in that youth isnt an excuse, they need to figure that out (Especially Nick Young and Blatche.... Mason figured it out but he had to start last night with AD hurt.). One of our leaders (Caron, AD or AJ in particular) needs to have a pep-talk with them and let them know how huge they could be for our success, we have very good young talent (O-pech did a good job) that could really do great. Point at Portland or Atlanta as an example (Or even Charlotte of the last few weeks), or point at Big Baby Davis is doing for the Celtics (Or Rondo, or Perk, or T Allen, etc.), or what Sean williams and Josh Boone are doing for the Nets, or what Daniel Gibson did/doing for the Cavs, etc etc etc in that peptalk. Young and Blatche in particular could really really step up and mean so much to this team if they could gain more consistency (Pecherov and Mason too.)

Antonio being out hurt more than 4 games in 5 nights did. 3 grueling quality wins over tough teams set us up for a letdown game. Tired legs coming out flat didnt help, and AD being out hurt more than both those factors combined........ its okay though, we're on track. 20-12 since that 0-5 start, we have a few days off now and we'll be back to normal on friday (Hopefully with AD back in the lineup, Im praying for that. Its so huge.).

by billy332 on Jan 16, 2008 4:22 PM EST reply actions

Knew it was coming

I saw the let down coming and someone in Vegas had to make some money off this game.
Even in victory, it appears the Knicks are a very weird team. I see better individual parts than I see as a whole team.

Crawford and Q could barely miss last night at all. Buffet lovers Zebo and Curry hit the glass pretty hard too.
Billy332 is right about the bench and their youth excuse is wearing thin as this was the game that the team needed them to step it up.

Opec nailed some 3s but he sure likes to jack it up. Do we need a 6'10 guy shooting threes on this team?

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 16, 2008 4:44 PM EST reply actions