Most of you probably recognize me as the webmaster of this here Washington Wizards blog, but I also dabble in a couple side projects that have taken up my entire Sunday today. One is my job as a senior sportswriter for The Justice, my college's newspaper. The other is as a contributor for the About.com NBA Section, along with fellow bloggers Hoops Addict, Indy Cornrows, Hornets 24/7, Blazers Edge, and Golden State of Mind. Each week, I participate in writing a quick recap of the week that was for the Southeast Division teams, and that includes our Wizards. Maybe it was a lack of sleep, or maybe it was just pure excitment, but I definitely was positively giddy writing about last week's 4-0 record. Here's a copy of the Wizards section of what's going up tomorrow, which you can also find on this page (links not included). Enjoy and re-live the great week that was for our Wizards!
[Pardon the excitement...I am a Wizards blogger, after all]
Recap Rewind
It started with yet another buzzer beater from Gilbert Arenas, and it ended with an overtime victory against one of the worst teams in the league. In between, the Wizards surged to the top of the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference with four wins in a row.
It all started on Monday at home against the Utah Jazz, in the game we will forever remember as the Martin Luther King Day Miracle. Gilbert Arenas scored 51 points and hit a buzzer beating three pointer over Deron Williams to give the Wizards a dramatic 114-111 victory against one of the Western Conference's best teams.
In their next game at home against the New York Knicks, the Wizards got yet another buzzer beater, but it was from someone you may not have expected. After the Knicks double-teamed Arenas at the end of the game, he gave it up to Antawn Jamison, who fed DeShawn Stevenson, who drove baseline and fed Caron Butler for the game-winning jam. Knick fans have a legitimate case for a three-second call on Butler, but nonetheless, the Wizards had yet another dramatic victory.
On Friday, the Wizards would need no late-game heroics, as they showed why they are the best team in the Southeast Division with a 114-93 blowout victory over the Orlando Magic on the road. Antawn Jamison had 31 points and 16 rebounds, and Arenas added 30, as the Wizards scored 69 second-half points in the victory.
After that dramatic win, the Wizards had a bit of a hangover against the Celtics at Verizon Center on Saturday, blowing a 21 point lead before holding on for the 115-110 overtime victory. Arenas finally missed a game-winning shot at the end of regulation, but the Wizards were able to hold on after Caron Butler stole the ball from Gerald Green with the Celtics down three in the closing seconds of overtime.
Notable News
- The campaign to get Caron Butler in the all-star game continues in Washington D.C., and Celtic coach Doc Rivers seems to have lent his support. "I said it before we came down here the first time [Nov. 4] that I thought he was an all-star player coming into his own," he said. "I think he should be on the all-star team. He deserves it."
- Perhaps the only piece of bad news with the Wizards this week concerns longtime owner Abe Pollin. The 83 year old owner broke his pelvis while exercising and is expected to be out of the office for three to four weeks
- Wizards coach Eddie Jordan was fined $15,000 for his outburst in the Wizards 93-80 loss on the road to the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday.
- In his latest blog entry for NBA.com, Arenas made sure to mention the Wizards February 11th contest against the Portland Trailblazers, as this will be a chance for him to capitalize on his promise to score 50 points against Nate McMillan and Mike D'Antoni after being cut from the Olympic team.
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Fast Forward
Get ready for Arenas-D'Antoni Round 2, as the Wizards entertain the Phoenix Suns at Verizon Center on Tuesday. Following that game, the Wizards travel to face the Detroit Pistons on Friday and the Celtics on Sunday.
Now to get some sleep. I'll be back this week with a surprise special feature and more Wizards coverage.