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What is it with the Wizards and 10-day contracts? It seems every time Washington signs an NBA journeyman or D-Leaguer to a 10-day deal, fans roll their eyes, and end up eating crow within the week.
Well, you can add Drew Gooden (Greaten?) to the list of supposed scrubs that have left Wizards fans pleasantly surprised, and pining for more. John Wall may have led the Wizards with 33 points (10-of-15 shooting, 4-of-6 from three) and capped last night's 101-94 comeback win with an emphatic runaway slam with 28.9 seconds remaining in the game, but this was the Drew Gooden Show (make sure to check out Satchel's excellent feature on Gooden from this morning).
Gooden scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. In 26 minutes off the bench, he shot 8-for-11, grabbed nine rebounds and (small sample size alert) recorded a team-high plus-17. Most of his buckets were long jumpers, and the crowd erupted louder with each one he drained.
How amazing was Gooden? He had Aaron freaking Rodgers tweeting about it after the game (see below).
The Real Uncle Drew's heroics ended overshadowing the fact Bradley Beal played the day after suffering an ankle sprain that initially looked like it could have been season-ending. Not only did Beal play, but he played well, finishing with 15 points and five assists, and combining with Wall to keep the Wizards within striking distance after the first half.
In the end, this was one the team's better wins of the season, and probably its most important. The Wizards and Nets entered the game virtually tied in the standings, but Brooklyn was seeded fifth by virtue of its winning percentage being one one-thousandth higher than Washington's. So not only did the win give the Wizards the fifth seed and knock the Nets into sixth place, but it also gave Washington the tiebreaker over Brooklyn, meaning the Wizards are effectively two games ahead of the Nets now (as Mike explained this morning).
The Nets are now 31-2 on the season when leading after three quarters. Both of those losses? Against the Wizards (see tweet below). Pretty cool. The Wiz now face a four-game West Coast road trip, beginning Tuesday night with a should-win against the Kings. They then face the Trail Blazers, Lakers and Nuggets. Need to go 3-1 at least in order to keep pace in the East.
Oh, and the team's magic number for a playoff berth? Seven more wins, with 16 games to play. Let's gooooooooo.
KEY LINKS
Road team recaps: BF StoryStream | Washington Post | AP | CSN Washington (recap, sidebar) | Wiz of Awes | DC Pro Sports Report | Wizards.com | Monumental Network
Home team recaps: NetsDaily | New York Daily News | ESPN New York (recap, notes) | The Brooklyn Game (recap, grades) | The Record | Newsday
Postgame interviews: Randy Wittman | John Wall | Drew Gooden | Bradley Beal | Trevor Ariza
KEY STATS
73 - Drew Gooden's shooting percentage (8-for-11) against the Nets.
60 - Washington's shooting percentage in the fourth quarter Saturday night. Entering the fourth, the Wizards and Nets were shooting 42.1 and 52.7 percent, respectively. But the Wizards caught fire while the Nets went only 5-for-16 (31.3 percent) in the fourth. By game's end, the Wizards had shot 46.8 percent, while the Nets finished at 47.9 percent.
4 - Washington's rebounding advantage (39-35) against Brooklyn. The Nets are a bad rebounding team, so the Wizards should have had the advantage anyway, but they entered the fourth quarter being outrebounded by the Nets, 28-25. But the doubled up Brooklyn on the boards in the fourth, 14-7, en route to the win.
TWEETS OF THE NIGHT
We’re witnessing a Drew Gooden-Marcus Thornton duel and I haven’t even been drinking.
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) March 16, 2014
Al Harrington and Drew Gooden leading the Wizards back in a mid-March game. Just like we all expected!
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 16, 2014
holy crap. no more capital letters. just drew gooden changing our world.
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) March 16, 2014
Enjoying the Drew Gooden/Marcus Thornton show in Washington.
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) March 16, 2014
We’re witnessing a Drew Gooden-Marcus Thornton duel and I haven’t even been drinking.
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) March 16, 2014
Drew "Long-2" Gooden, Master of the Midrange and Protector of the Realm.
— HELLO my name is (@JohnCTownsend) March 16, 2014
Playoff feel in D.C. between Nets and Wiz.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) March 16, 2014
Drew Gooden. BECAUSE WHY NOT
— Hoop District (@HoopDistrictDC) March 16, 2014
Drew Gooden must be hacking. There's no other explanation.
— HELLO my name is (@JohnCTownsend) March 16, 2014
DREW GOODEN HAS SIRED CHILDREN ON THE COURT AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF FEEDING HIS FAMILY FOR ALL TO SEE
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) March 16, 2014
Drew Gooden shrug game. It's over.
— Umair Khan (@UKhanNBA) March 16, 2014
RELEASE THE KRAKEN pic.twitter.com/f5RrYRBUlE
— Yao Mingle.com (@Marco_Romo) March 16, 2014
Drew Gooden has 21 points, his most in any game since he scored 21 against the Wizards on April 18, 2012.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 16, 2014
Man, Drew Gooden is just playing his butt off tonight. Gooden. Harrington. Andre Miller. I love these old vet pick-ups by Wizards
— Mike Wise (@MikeWiseguy) March 16, 2014
The GAWD. #Wizards pic.twitter.com/3A8TotLzW2
— Danny (@recordsANDradio) March 16, 2014
Drew Greaten
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) March 16, 2014
That's the loudest I've ever heard Verizon Center for something the Wizards just did. Legit got goosebumps. This is the playoffs right here.
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) March 16, 2014
Deafening crowd in D.C. right now. For the Wizards. This is real life. We've arrived.
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) March 16, 2014
101-94, Wizards. Wall with 33. DREW GOODEN with 21. That extra game in the standings is absolutely HUGE. Biggest win of the season.
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) March 16, 2014
WIIIIIZZZZZZ #wiznets pic.twitter.com/FI7PpAOu1Q
— Katherine O'Toole (@kotoole3) March 16, 2014
One more thing: if you haven't been to a Wizards game recently, it's time to go back. Support this team. Arena was bumping at the end.
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) March 16, 2014
#Nets are now 31-2 when leading after three quarters this season. Their only two losses have come to ... the #Wizards.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) March 16, 2014
Martell Webster on John Wall: "He knows all of the opposing plays in advance, he’s calling them out. He’s a general out there. That's big."
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) March 16, 2014
Paul Pierce on the Wizards: "They're coming into their own. They're growing up, right before our eyes."
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) March 16, 2014
@BulletsForever More like Drew GREATen, am I right?? Hello?? Guys??? #wiznets
— Levin O'Connor (@hey_big_guy) March 16, 2014
Drew Gooden is scoring 1.1 PPA in his comeback tour with the #Wizards. Fire-starter.
— HELLO my name is (@JohnCTownsend) March 16, 2014
we gon ride round Brooklyn tomorrows screamin THIS WE HOUSE.
— wizznutzz (@wzzntzz) March 16, 2014
Wiz-Nets wildly entertaining. You almost can't believe that Wiz bench unit exists. Drew Gooden? OK! Did Wall do Cassell dance at the end?
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) March 16, 2014
Liked how Wiz spread the floor and ran what were almost high ISOs for Wall. D-Will couldn't stay in front.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) March 16, 2014
Gooden: "You guys joke about me being old but I'm still Drew Gooden. That's what I do. When I see a couple go in, I feel like I can't miss."
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 16, 2014
John Wall: 8th 30-point game of season tonight (8 in 1st 3 seasons combined entering 2013-14)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 16, 2014
Wizards fans may have laughed at first, but now how do you feel about @DrewGooden? #ballin #midrange #21tonight
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 16, 2014
Kidd: "They have a very good point guard. It starts with him. He puts a lot of pressure on you." #WizardsTalk #NBA #WizNets
— J. Michael (@JMichaelCSN) March 16, 2014
I think @usabasketball should consider adding John Wall to the team. Just a thought, of course.
— Ben M (@BenAgent0) March 16, 2014
Pierce: "Wall has matured ... That is what the Washington Wizards have been waiting on and you are seeing it." #WizardsTalk #WizNets #NBA
— J. Michael (@JMichaelCSN) March 16, 2014
One of the most impressive and gratifying wins of the season for @WashWizards. Veterans have given this team huge dose of savy & B-ball IQ.
— Steve Buckhantz (@SteveBuckhantz) March 16, 2014
Big Time Win and The Fans Was Amazin...#wizkids !!
— John Wall (@John_Wall) March 16, 2014
DWill: "They got a lot of weapons & they are still missing Nene. Once they get him back, they will be even better" #WizardsTalk #WizNets
— J. Michael (@JMichaelCSN) March 16, 2014
VIDEO/GIF OF THE NIGHT
Oh man, so many great ones, like these end-game GIFs courtesy of Inside Job...
There's the video of Wall's 33-point night, courtesy of the immaculate Dawk Ins...
Then there was the star of the night...
And finally, the crowd at Verizon. I've only been to a handful of games this season, but this was by far the loudest I'd heard the place. As in, legit goosebumps, guys. It's time to remind everyone D.C. is, first and foremost, a basketball town. (H/T @HoopDistrictDC)
GAMETHREAD RECAP COMMENT OF THE NIGHT
Alright, the Recap comments got way more rec's than in the Gamethread, so we'll go with those again. This comment was the top vote-getter...
But this being a Gooden-themed edition of Pixels, this was my personal favorite.
GAMETHREAD ROLLCALL
# | Commenter | # Comments |
---|---|---|
1 | Michimore Wizskins | 108 |
2 | qthaballa | 87 |
3 | Hands11 | 69 |
4 | HailSkinz | 67 |
5 | lobster11 | 57 |
6 | Wall_Hopeful | 51 |
7 | LRJ | 43 |
8 | BealMVP4ever | 37 |
9 | DCKRS | 32 |
10 | elliotlevy2 | 28 |
11 | TheBackCourt | 20 |
12 | KurisuDevil | 15 |
13 | Gators2015_BB3 | 13 |
14 | Inside Job | 11 |
15 | John Wall Stan | 10 |
16 | Baird15 | 7 |
17 | Craig_ | 6 |
18 | _Chris | 6 |
19 | abala | 6 |
20 | richkam14 | 6 |
21 | jazzy1 | 5 |
22 | Big Spoon | 5 |
23 | jarem | 5 |
24 | ATrueNigerian | 4 |
25 | jaffejoe | 4 |
26 | Asdesas | 3 |
27 | K-StreetLobbyist | 3 |
28 | perroandaluz | 2 |
29 | KappakidToo | 2 |
30 | Seat pleasant | 2 |
31 | MC-Sneaks | 2 |
32 | The GIF Oracle | 2 |
33 | Verycooldude9 | 2 |
34 | Nubboi | 2 |
35 | little stevie colter | 2 |
36 | Shawn-Paul Muth | 1 |
37 | dave21110 | 1 |
38 | Wolfram-DK | 1 |
39 | RCpige | 1 |
40 | joshuagrice | 1 |
41 | Alvin Q | 1 |
42 | arian1123 | 1 |
43 | khrabb | 1 |
44 | DapperDistrict | 1 |
45 | spanishfalcon | 1 |
46 | Le Bullet | 1 |
47 | Bradley_B3al | 1 |
48 | wizardsfan13 | 1 |
49 | Aldo | 1 |
50 | Hoosiercoach | 1 |
51 | ZonkerBL | 1 |