The Elias Sport Bureau claims that there has never been a worse battle between two NBA teams with 25 games under their belt. Maybe that's a fact, but I could contest that this battle is much, much worse (first 1:12):
Oh....on to the game blog.
I don't think there's a reason for Joe Smith to be playing now unless he has coaching aspirations....well, he's in the last year of a contract that's paying him just under $5 milli...not too shabby. Will he continue to play for a contender next season? (And actually, Smith is only 33, the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Marcus Camby are older -- it just seems like he's been around forever.)
Q1
Andray Blatche.....somehow building consistency. 1st: Offensive board and putback, 2nd: Right to left cross on Joe Smith.....tried to dunk it on his head, missed it, but got fouled. Good FTs. 5-4 OKC.
10:17: I'd still like to see Andray get an edge about himself.....he just got an o-board, but pussed up a miss.
Nick Young starts off on Russell Westbrook and Mike James on Desmond Mason (it's the opposite on the other end -- seems like bad matchups for the Wiz, but I guess James is stronger than Young, so more apt to guard the bigger Mason)....as Mason swats and steals the ball from Nick on a drive.
8:56: Young hits another mid-range J (the last one came in transition) -- Young is 2-3 on FGs so far. 11-8 OKC.
8:26: Nick misses a dunk...uh oh.....dunk contest validation?
Ugh....Phil Chenier and Steve Buckhantz are agonizing over the Cavs loss......guess they haven't had a chance to talk about it on-air, trying to get theirs in.....but still, it's painful to listen to. It was painful enough to finally post a game blog earlier today.
7:16: Jamison just tried a rightly flip hook from the left side with his back to the basket.....yea, I'm just as confused typing about the shot as I was watching it.
6:11: Mike James is not afraid to gun....but he's also not afraid to penetrate. He misses, Taser with the o-board, James with a drive, ball fake, pass to Andray for the hoop (they ran the high pick and roll combo). 12-11 OKC.
5:30: D-Mac with a huge slam...he caught the ball at the top of the arc....OKC slept on him, leaving the lane wide open.....great aggressive move by the Taser. 15-13 OKC.
4:25: Mike James makes Westbrook look silly on a lefty inside-out dribble drive for a layup. 17 tie.
Steve Buckhantz: "[Durant] has every shot in the book" -- he's 4-9 with 9 points.
Mike James is doing what Jim Jones (the bad rapper, not the one with the crazy temple) annoyingly calls out in songs.....Ballin'
1:15: A Juan Dixon sighting.....and he immediately hits (assisted by Mike James...his 5th of the quarter). 30-27 Wizards.
0:01: DeShawn Stevenson no likey blocking out.....Kid Delicious put-back dunk at the end of the 1st (not sure how he didn't get called for hanging on the rim). 33-31 Wizards.
Q2
10:20: The Thunder are almost as carelessly turnoverrific as the Wizards....the had 7 in the first quarter and back-to-back TOs just now.
McGee is hustling....I give him that....although having his positioning struggles......
9:00: Wiz timeout....Tapscott gets Etan off the bench....and comes in for McGee.
This is a lackluster 2nd quarter.
7:14: Etan is blocking a couple shots on Westbrook.....OKC shot clock vio.
Yea.....maybe Prada is right, Crittenton at least needs to get a look at run over Dixon.
5:27: Jamison tough lob to Etan who gathers, slams, hangs, swings and spikes. 44-43 Wizards.
5:07: Jeff Green throws Andray off with a pump fake from the corner and baseline drive for the dunk.
4:42: Andray comes back with a sweet drive spin move layup. 46-45 Wiz.
For some reason in the new Gilbert Arenas commercial, the line, "Although you try to stop it, the outcome was decided....long ago," does not sit well with me.....too close to some sort of "curse" language.
4:19: Stevenson fittingly misses a reverse layup that should have been a gimme.
3:48: Andray with another spin to the baseline....this time for a dunk. 10 points and 5 boards for Young 'Dray.
1:59: D-Mac gets his 2nd dunk of the game....barely....he was close to being an example of a 2-hand Sprite commercial. 52-51 Wizards.
Good lord....Joe Smith has played for a lot of teams. He has got to be the #1 draft pick who has played for the most.....9 different ones in fact - name them.
1:14: Great 3-2 break run by McGuire to Blatche to Jamison.....54-52 Wizards. Buckhantz conveys that Blatche doesn't receive enough credit for his passing skills at times....
I think that Jamison has been quiet, but he leads all Wizards with 15 points, and the Wiz are up two at the half, 56-54.....nice team effort from all.
Q3
Remember when Young, Blatche, and McGuire used to talk about being the 'Future Big Three'....or something like that? Yeeaaa....I remember that.
8:35: Jamison comes out hot....6 points early for 21 total. I do like how these guys ("The Future Big Three") are more than willing to pass to each other. 62-56 Wizards.
The Cleaner just sucks balls in. (no, that's not a tag-line for a porno....talking about Dom McGuire's rebounding skills).
Just saw this tweet....I'm watching the worst matchup in NBA history. Wonderful.
5:54: Durant picks off a lazy Mike James pass and goes for a dunk....really Wizards? You can't value every possession? (this hasn't been the only instance of mental mistakes)...66-64 Wizards.
5:30: Mike James makes up with a long J.
4:48: Mike James drive, spin....and lay-off to D-Song for a layup...very nice. Songaila didn't just happen to be there -- although it appeared that way. 70-64 Wiz.
4:28: Wiz steal (AJ) - outlet...James push...D-Mac run...pass back....Taser with the nasty And 1 dunk on Durant -- 3 dunks on the game for McGuire. 72-64 Wiz.
Steve Buckhantz Classic Quote: "Hey man, when news breaks, we fix it."
3:52: Mike James fires an unwise choice....but D-Mac flies through the air, takes the board away from Durant....foul on the putback.....1 of 2 on FTs.
D-Song's usually on jumper is not on tonight, but the ruff-n-tumble defense and hustle is still there.
243 D-Mac Dunk Montage.
1:55: Jamison has a lot of points.....leading as we should expect, but it's still a very quiet 25 points.
1:26: Aww....poor D-Mac...as I just read Aldo's comment, "Taser has some sweet highlights for one of the worst offensive players in the league", the Thunder leave him wide open for the J...he declines and tries to drive and ends up throwing up some jump stop trash that gets rejected by Durant.
0:34: McGuire gets a pass back...around the 3-point line...I hear someone yell "Shoot!" but he drives and gets an attempt rejected again...this time by Kyle Weaver.
Durant's fast-break dunk and Young's bad miss leaves the score tied after three. 76 all.
Q4
11:25: Well lookie there....D-Mac hits a long jumper with confidence.....see kids....play good D and rebound and your O-face will naturally increase in Swag. 78 tie.
9:35: McGuire gets a pick from Etan with 6 on the shot clock....power drive...some clutches....nice layup kid. 84-78 Wiz.
8:48: Wow.....what. Is. Going. On?.......Andray pump fake, drive, extra pass to Etan...drive and reverse dunk at the shot clock buzzer. 10-0 Wizards run.....on the back of a 10-0 OKC run. 86-78 Wiz.
Composure. Ball Movement. Bizarro.
Etan has 6 boards......at least he's the type of vet you can depend on giving 100% hustle whenever inserted in the game. Unfortunately, you can't say the same for a lot of NBA players.
7:13: Stevenson gets a cross court pass with 7 seconds on the shot clock....it looked like he had the baseline for a potential drive, but no, he fires a three that misses bad left. Tapscott gets Mike James off the bench....please say it's for DeShawn.....and it is not....going with the Dixon, James, Stevenson, Blatche, Thomas lineup....very mix-and-match.
6:29: Baseline inbound high lob to Durant...easily over Stevenson. 88-82 Wizards.
5:38: Whoa...Dixon makes some crazy runner over Green and and Watson.....almost physically impossible.....6 points in the quarter (10 total) for Dixon. 90-82 Wiz.
4:59: Blatche post move....pass to Stevenson after getting caught under the basket...swing to Dixon....trey ball. 93-82 Wiz.
Jamison checks in for Dixon....Stevenson stays.
3:51: Blatche + This Newfound Confidence = Me Baffled.....hits a reverse layup, he has 14 points. 97-84 Wiz.
3:36: Dom McGuire checks in for Etan...who had a very nice game. Active, and that's all we ask.....from pretty much anyone at this stage of the game.
Blatche reverse dunk/lay-in on Joe Smith....big time pro move. 99-86 Wiz.
2:24: Jamison with a long two...he's been doing it all night. 29 points.
1:46: McGuire and Stevenson run some sort of precarious two man game...and then D-Mac gets it to Blatche for the hoop and the harm. 104-91 Wiz.
Blatche blocks a Westbrook fast break attempt and Steve Buck calls it a capper...hey, how 'bout that? Wiz Win!! (against the worst team in the league). 104-95 - NBA.com Box