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

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

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(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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.