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WASHINGTON -- LeBron James is bigger, faster and stronger than almost anyone in the NBA. He's the best ball handler of his size since Magic Johnson, is a freak athlete, is making almost 65 percent of his two point attempts and is the beneficiary of almost every call that could go either way. He plays on a team full of knockdown shooters and has the confidence that comes with being unquestionably the best player in his profession.
And Trevor Ariza had to chase him around the court all night. With a 102 degree fever. And an inability to keep food down.
Ariza showed up to the Verizon Center before the game sick, but insisted that he play. He did as good a job as can hoped for against Bron Bron, holding him to 25 points, forcing four turnovers and holding him to 44 percent shooting. He wasn't shut down, per se, but King James simply looked like a great basketball player rather than someone who's not of this earth.
"Trevor, who was under the weather this morning, gave me his all," Randy Wittman said. "He wasn't feeling up and now he's got to come out and guard Lebron. He's probably sicker now."
John Wall was equally impressed with Ariza's effort.
"You just give him a lot a credit because e came in with a 102 fever, not feeling well even when he came out in the first quarter," Wall said after the game.
"He was throwing up on the sideline. He just stuck with it and gave us a lot of effort," Wall said later. "That's the one thing you can respect is being a professional, a guy who didn't have a lot of energy but what he had he put forth that effort to help us compete tonight."
Ariza finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 35 minutes. The Wizards outscored the Heat by 11 when he was on the court and he didn't take a single play off.
