Washington Wizards News

Jamison misses practice in Orlando
Comment
February 9
Washington Post
 
"Antawn Jamison was unable to catch his early morning flight out of Miami and missed the Wizards' practice on Monday in Orlando. Jamison had a suite at Sun Life Stadium to watch the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, in the Super Bowl on Sunday night. He called the team to inform them of his problems getting out. He plans to join the team in Charlotte later in the afternoon. The Wizards will play the Bobcats on Tuesday. The Wizards finished what Saunders called "a mini-all-star break before the all-star break," with the snow in the District keeping them stranded in Orlando over the weekend. "Overall, it's probably been good. We've had some spirited practices," Saunders ..."
Wizards-Hawks game rescheduled for March 11
Comment
February 9
Washington Post
 
"Saturday's postponed game between the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks has been rescheduled for March 11. Here's the NBA's announcement: NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2010 - The National Basketball Association announced today the rescheduling of the Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards game that was postponed on Saturday, Feb. 6."
Wizards look to head into all-star break on a high note
Comment
February 9
Washington Post
 
"The expectations have far exceeded the harsh reality for the Washington Wizards as they prepare to play their final game before the all-star break in Charlotte on Tuesday. Instead of being in the mix among Eastern Conference playoff teams, they appear headed for a second consecutive lottery season. Instead of celebrating the arrival of Coach Flip Saunders and the return of Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood to a core that included Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, there is speculation around the league that the team could undergo a drastic makeover before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. And, while there were concerns about Arenas making it through the entire season, no one anticipated that a ..."
Rumors: Martin, Iguodala, Butler, McGrady
Comment
February 8
ESPN.com
 
"Kevin Martin, Andre Iguodala and Caron Butler continue to be the three swingmen most frequently linked with Mark Cuban's trade-seeking Mavericks, who have been stonewalled in their attempts to pry Martin away from Sacramento and thus have not ruled out a move for Butler. Sources say that Washington and Dallas have maintained a Butler dialogue while the Wizards also continue talks with Houston in a larger deal for Tracy McGrady. As stated previously in this cyberspace, Martin tops the Mavs' list in their search for a dependable second scorer to flank Dirk Nowitzki. Sources say, however, that Dallas would likely have to recruit a third team to present the quality big man presumably needed to ..."
D.C. snowstorm forces Wizards to make do in Florida
Comment
February 8
Washington Post
 
"The Washington Wizards discussed several options for leaving Orlando in order to make it to their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Verizon Center on Sunday, including flying into Richmond and taking a bus to the District. But with the blizzard refusing to relent and the game postponed, the Wizards elected to stay behind in Florida, practice for two days and then leave Monday for Charlotte, where they will face the Bobcats on Tuesday in their final game before the all-star break. Although the weather in Orlando still required a jacket, there are worse places to be stranded, and the players weren't complaining. "It ain't too bad. It's definitely better than being under 20 inches" of snow, ..."
Postponement "blessing in disguise" with J.J. (flu), Zaza (hip) out
Comment
February 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"The postponement of the Hawks' game at Washington on Saturday might eventually force them to play on three straight nights but they might have caught a break in the short term. As it turns out, Joe Johnson likely wouldn't have made the trip to D.C. Saturday due to flu-like symptoms. Also, Zaza Pachulia's nagging left hip injury is flaring up. "It could be a blessing in disguise," Woody said of the postponement due to snowstorms in the D.C. region. Pachulia sat out practice today and Johnson stayed home. Both players are questionable to play Tuesday at Memphis. Woody said J.J. would be reevaluated on Monday. He said if Johnson doesn't travel with the team to Memphis on Monday he could ..."
Wizards-Hawks game postponed
Comment
February 7
Washington Examiner
 
"From the department of Probably Should've Seen That Coming, tonight's game between the Wizards and the Hawks has been postponed since neither team could fly in late last night from Orlando and Atlanta, respectively. The last time an NBA game was postponed because of weather was Suns at Nuggets on Dec. 20, 2006."
Wizards-Hawks postponed due to blizzard
Comment
February 7
Washington Post
 
"The Wizards' game against the Hawks has been postponed because of the blizzard in the D.C. area. They were scheduled to play at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Verizon Center. A future date has not been determined. It is the first time that an NBA game was postponed because of weather since the Suns-Nuggets on Dec. 20, 2006 the Hornets-Bucks on Jan. 13, 2007. Icy conditions in Oklahoma City prohibited the Hornets from leaving for Milwaukee. The last time a game was postponed because of bad weather in the host city was the Suns-Nuggets on Dec. 20, 2006. The Wizards were unable to leave Orlando after coming back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Magic, 92-91, on Friday. They planned on leaving early ..."
Facing NBA trade deadline, Washington Wizards' Caron Butler breaks out of slump with game-winner
Comment
February 7
Washington Post
 
"His jab-step kept creating space, his hesitation crossover dribble kept Orlando Magic defenders stumbling and Caron Butler kept driving and burying jumpers until his final 19-foot shot splashed through the net with 0.5 of a second remaining to give the Washington Wizards a 92-91 comeback victory on Friday night. It was the first time since Coach Flip Saunders's arrival that Butler played with such determination and "super" aggression, as Saunders described it. "It was by far his best game overall," Saunders said after Butler scored 29 of his season-high 31 points in the second half to help the Wizards overcome a 21-point deficit and upend the Southeast Division-leading Magic. But with ..."
Hawks at Wizards postponed due to D.C. storm
Comment
February 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"Just got word from Hawks PR man Arthur Triche that the league has postponed the team's scheduled game tonight at Washington due to the snow storm affecting the D.C. region. The Wizards are stranded in Orlando after playing the Magic last night, and the Hawks' flight did not leave as scheduled following last night's 91-81 victory over Chicago."
Wizards-Hawks game postponed due to blizzard
Comment
February 6
Washington Post
 
"The Wizards' game against the Hawks has been postponed because of the blizzard in the D.C. area. They were scheduled to play at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Verizon Center. It is the first time that an NBA game was postponed because of weather since the Suns-Nuggets on Dec. 20, 2006."
With trade rumors swirling, Butler has best game
Comment
February 6
Washington Post
 
"Caron Butler's name has been mentioned in trade rumors for almost a year, and the talk has only intensified with the Feb. 18 trade deadline less than two weeks away. He's been rumored to be headed to Dallas, to Houston, to the Los Angeles Clippers, to New Jersey, to Portland, to Phoenix. "I'm popular," Butler said with a smile after scoring a season-high 31 points, including the game-winning jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining, against the Orlando Magic on Friday. "I've always been a popular kid, since middle school, I've been bigger than everybody. I'm very popular right now." Butler has had a disappointing season, with him struggling to develop chemistry with Gilbert Arenas, looking ..."
Butler's last-second jumper caps Wizards' 21-point comeback
Comment
February 6
Washington Post
 
"One of the chief complaints about the Washington Wizards this season has been their inability to play for 48 minutes. They often take full quarters or halves off, creating insurmountable deficits and head-shaking frustration. The Wizards found themselves down by 21 points to the Orlando Magic just 10 minutes into their game on Friday night, with a sloppy, turnover-filled performance that had Coach Flip Saunders confused on the sideline. "It looked like, 'Space Jam' the movie," Saunders said afterward. "We couldn't do anything. We were hitting [the ball] off our heads, off our elbows, off our feet, walking, couldn't get a shot off." But in the most thrilling comeback in what has been a ..."
Time to deal Jamison, Butler, Haywood?
Comment
February 5
Washington Post
 
"If the Wizards are going to make a move before the trade deadline, they might want to act sooner rather than later. This is arguably the best time for President Ernie Grunfeld to rework his roster and start anew, with teams around the league expressing interest in Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood. The trade deadline is just two weeks away. Adrian Wojnarowski recently wrote for Yahoo! Sports that the Dallas Mavericks have lost interest in Butler because of his so-so season. Butler has had a difficult season but his production has been relatively unchanged, even following Gilbert Arenas's suspension. He has scored at least 20 points four times in the 15 games since Arenas ..."
NBA history indicates the Washington Wizards' road from ruin to recovery won't be easy
Comment
February 5
Washington Post
 
"The Washington Wizards were among the dregs of the Eastern Conference with Gilbert Arenas this season, but moving forward without him has proven to be an ordeal for the players, coaching staff and others within the organization. The Wizards will play their 17th game without Arenas on Friday against the Orlando Magic. As they continue to lose games, and some players quietly hope for an escape with the trade deadline looming, Coach Flip Saunders said this has been his most challenging job in 14 seasons in the NBA. "As a coach, no question, just because of the uncertainty," Saunders said. Losing a star player because of a lengthy suspension can hinder a franchise for some time. The Indiana ..."
Washington Wizards get run out of New York by the Knicks, 107-85
Comment
February 4
Washington Post
 
"When David Lee made a baseline jumper to give the New York Knicks a 16-point lead with 2 minutes, 40 seconds remaining, Coach Flip Saunders called timeout and Antawn Jamison grabbed a seat on the far end of the bench. Jamison plopped his hands upon his head, elbows pointed out, and stared blankly toward the rafters. He then angrily started to shake his head in frustration. "You don't want to know what I was thinking," Jamison said. The worse was far from over, as the Knicks scored seven more unanswered points, before Randy Foye drove down the lane for a layup that snapped a nearly three-minute scoring drought. The Washington Wizards lost, 107-85, on Wednesday night at Madison Square ..."
Nate Robinson nets 23 points, plays entire second half to lead New York Knicks over Wizards
Comment
February 4
New York Daily News
 
"If Mike D'Antoni had his way, Nate Robinson would be on the next flight out of town, if not sooner. And if there were room for two more, D'Antoni would gladly hand Larry Hughes and Al Harrington one-way tickets. But with the Knicks' season teetering on irrelevance, D'Antoni's stubborn side gave way to his practical side. And in a stunning turn of events, it was one of D'Antoni's favorites - point guard Chris Duhon - who was exiled, perhaps for good. D'Antoni revamped his rotation (a long overdue move), and the newest lineup featuring Robinson, Harrington and Hughes rallied to defeat the Washington Wizards, 107-85, Wednesday night at the Garden. "When you lose three in a row and you're ..."
After Knicks beat Wizards, D'Antoni plans to start Nate instead of Duhon
Comment
February 4
New York Post
 
"Stop the presses. In the wake of last night's 107-85 Nate Robinson-inspired Garden rout of the Wizards, Mike D'Antoni dropped a bomb during his postgame press conference, saying he is ready to pull the plug on Chris Duhon as the team's starting point guard. Robinson, who started the second half in place of the slumping Duhon, lit up the Wizards to ignite a rally from a four-point deficit at intermission that broke a three-game losing streak and moved them four games behind in the loss column for eighth place in the East. Robinson was a buzz-saw, finishing with 23 points in 35 minutes, hitting 10 of 15 shots, mostly runners and layups. Duhon did not play in the second half, finishing ..."
Given a Shot, Hughes Gives the Knicks a Boost
Comment
February 4
New York Times
 
"While assessing his team's recent poor form, Coach Mike D'Antoni pointed to the Knicks' lack of energy and their defensive neglect as the primary problems. He could not say why the Knicks had arrived at this lackluster state, but he knew he needed to find a solution quickly before their season spun out of control. D'Antoni was so desperate for a spark, in fact, that he turned to a player whom he had relegated to the bench. Guard Larry Hughes, who did not play in 13 of the previous 15 games, came off the bench Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden and helped the Knicks to a 107-85 victory over Washington Wizards, halting a three-game losing streak. Hughes had not played in five games, ..."
Caron Butler to miss Knicks game with left knee injury
Comment
February 3
Washington Post
 
"Caron Butler has ruled himself out of tonight's game against the New York Knicks because of swelling in his left knee. He sat with his left knee wrapped in ice at the morning walk-through on Wednesday but said that he hopes to be available on Friday against Orlando. The Wizards have not made plans for Butler to have an MRI, but will monitor his knee closely over the next few days. He was limited in practice on Tuesday and applied ice to his knees last night. But when he woke up on Wednesday morning, his knee had swollen. He is averaging 16.5 points and has missed two games this season. Butler was injured near the end of the first half of the Wizards' 99-88 loss to the Boston Celtics on ..."
Wizards' Mike Miller recovers from calf injury and is making an impact
Comment
February 3
Washington Post
 
"When the Washington Wizards acquired Mike Miller as part of an offseason trade with Minnesota, they were counting on the swingman as much for his availability as his three-point aptitude. He had, after all, played in at least 70 games in each of the previous five seasons in addition to making at least 138 three-pointers in four of those. So no one was more dispirited than Miller himself when a calf injury forced him to miss 21 games from late November through early January. Missing a valuable part of their starting rotation, the Wizards most nights were unable to manufacture consistent three-point shooting, and their record suffered because of it. These days, at least Miller is getting ..."
Crittenton will not appeal suspension
Comment
February 3
Washington Post
 
"Washington Wizards reserve guard Javaris Crittenton has decideded not to appeal his suspension without pay for the remainder of the NBA season. The executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, Billy Hunter, released a statement this afternoon stating that the union supports Crittenton's decision. "Javaris has said that he believes far more good will be done by moving forward and focusing on the future."
Wizards run out of steam against Celtics, 99-88
Comment
February 2
Washington Examiner
 
"The perfect storm had developed at Verizon Center, where the Washington Wizards were ready to exorcise nearly two years of misery and finally earn a three-game winning streak for the first time in eight tries. The Boston Celtics, one night after a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, seemed ready to oblige with a defeat, allowing 23 points off a fatigue-induced 17 turnovers. But they weren't the team that ran out of gas. Instead, the Wizards (16-31) fizzled, hitting two of 18 shots in the final quarter of a demoralizing 99-88 defeat. Six different players scored in double figures for the Celtics (30-16), led by 19 points from Kevin Garnett and 17 apiece from Ray Allen and Rajon ..."
Gilbert Arenas: Learning to be a better role model
Comment
February 2
Washington Post
 columnist Gilbert Arenas
"The Post suggested on Dec. 31 that I send a message to young fans "about guns being neither glamorous nor desirable." I am grateful for the opportunity to do something good in the face of the very bad situation I created. I have done a number of things wrong recently. I violated D.C. gun laws and the NBA's ban on firearms on league property, and I damaged the image of the NBA and its players. I reacted badly to the aftermath and made fun of inaccurate media reports, which looked as though I was making light of a serious situation. And I gave Commissioner David Stern good reason to suspend me from the game, which put my teammates in a tough position and let down our fans and Mrs. Irene ..."
Wizards falter in fourth quarter, lose to Celtics, 99-88
Comment
February 2
Washington Post
 
"Five minutes into the Washington Wizards' game against the Boston Celtics, Antawn Jamison was dribbling the ball up the court when he made one subtle move that had Celtics forward Paul Pierce so off-balanced that he stumbled and fell on his back side. Jamison is noted for his awkward shot-making ability, but ball-handling has never been his strong suit. It appeared to be a sign that the Wizards would keep the Celtics backpedaling and wobbling all night. "The handles," Jamison said afterward with a grin, "I like to show them off every once in a while. I made a good move." But what happened after Jamison's surprising move was more indicative of how the night would go for Jamison and his ..."
Change in Washington?
Comment
February 2
Boston Globe
 
"Now that the FBI and D.C. police are done with their investigations, the atmosphere in the Wizards' locker room should be improving, or at least healing. The lockers of Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are empty, and the rest of the team is trying to recover. With the NBA trade deadline (Feb. 18) looming, the threat of a firesale is a fresh concern. When a well-dressed media member walked into the locker room, swingman Caron Butler, the Wizards' most skilled and marketable player, and DeShawn Stevenson, perhaps the team's most mercurial player, looked as if something was wrong."
Will the eighth finally be the charm for Wizards?
Comment
February 1
Washington Examiner
 
"Seven different times since April 2008 the Wizards have had a chance to win three games in a row. Seven different times they've failed, in fashion ranging from the spectacularly bad -- matching their season low in points scored in a 92-76 drubbing at the hands of Charlotte on Nov. 28 -- to the frustratingly close -- such as Caron Butler going rogue and missing a potential game-winner against Dallas just two weeks ago. "We got an easy team coming in, so it's good," joked Wizards head coach Flip Saunders when asked Saturday night about finally getting over the hump after his team's 106-96 win over New York. In fact, the Wizards beat the Celtics to complete their last trifecta, on Apr. 9, ..."
Wizards once again seek that elusive three-game winning streak
Comment
February 1
Washington Post
 
"Two days after the Washington Wizards were informed that they would not have Gilbert Arenas for the remainder of the season, Coach Flip Saunders was asked how hard it would be for his players to be motivated the rest of the way. Their best player is barred from being around the team, several others on the roster are constantly mentioned in trade rumors, and a second consecutive trip to Secaucus, N.J., for the NBA draft lottery seems to be a mere formality. "I told them, 'You have to understand, no matter where you're at and what your record is, you have to be professionals. We're entertainers, so when we step on the floor, there's some 8- or 9-year-old, this could be their only NBA game ..."
It's too bad Abe Pollin missed this
Comment
January 31
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Mark Heisler
"There goes a great Bullet, er, Wizard. Even if the whole world abandoned Gilbert Arenas, who had the misfortune to become perfectly inconvenient and vulnerable at the same time, there was one man who would have remembered all he meant to the Washington Wizards and the "legacy of Abe Pollin" the late owner's family keeps talking about. That man, of course, was Abe Pollin. If Pollin was different, it wasn't for being wildly successful as an NBA owner, because he wasn't. It was for his generosity that was expressed in everything he did, including his day-to-day operation, such as clinging to General Manager Wes Unseld, whom he loved, long after Unseld had become inconvenient. President Obama ..."
Boykins' big shot buries Nets
Comment
January 31
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets were just a few minutes away from their first two-game winning streak in nine months. But their offense sputtered and they gave the smallest man on the court too much room and he hit the biggest shot of the game. Earl Boykins, all 5-feet-5 of him, buried a pull-up 16-foot jumper over 6-9 Kris Humprhies with 0.4 seconds left, sending the Nets to a heartbreaking 81-79 defeat to the Washington Wizards on Friday night at Izod Center. In a season filled with painful losses, this one really hurt. The Nets (4-41) led by 12 in the first half and eight in the third period. The Wizards took the lead in the fourth, but the Nets regained it and looked as if they were ready to put some ..."
Fail to the Chief: Knicks fall in Washington
Comment
January 31
Bergen Record
 
"President Obama had a choice of two basketball games to attend Saturday in the snowy nation's capital: Georgetown-Duke or Knicks-Wizards. He chose the matinee, the Hoyas' thrashing of the Blue Devils, far more convincing than the final 12-point margin. He skipped the nightcap: Wizards 106, Knicks 96. And even though the home team won, with Mike Miller lighting up the half-filled building from beyond the arc, the Republicans would probably agree: Good call, Prez. That's because the team from one of his blue states is starting to wear down physically and didn't show up nearly enough on defense, even though its anchor, Jared Jeffries, played all 48 minutes with his injured right knee. But the ..."
Larry Hughes offers support for Gilbert Arenas
Comment
January 31
Bergen Record
 
"Larry Hughes wears 0 on his uniform because of Gilbert Arenas, the self-proclaimed Agent Zero, Hughes' former teammate in Washington who's now suspended for the rest of the season along with teammate Javaris Crittenton for their Dec. 21 gun incident. "He's one of my best friends in this league," the Knicks' guard said of choosing 0. "We have history. I was there when he came [to Washington]. I looked out for him." Hughes said he's left text and voice messages since the suspension was announced this week, but hasn't spoken to Arenas, with whom he otherwise communicates regularly, since earlier this season. "I'm sure he'll call me when he's ready," Hughes said. "I understand when you make a ..."
Wizards beat Knicks with 3-point shooting, rebounding
Comment
January 31
The Journal News
 
"The Washington Wizards have had one issue with Mike Miller this season: He's been too unselfish. That wasn't the case on Saturday night. Miller scored a season-high 25 points - including 17 in the third quarter and seven 3-pointers, as the host Wizards beat the Knicks 106-96. It was a night for superlatives for Washington, which earned its fourth two-game winning streak but has yet to win three in a row. Antawn Jamison had 21 points and a career-high 23 rebounds; the team had a season-high 59 rebounds and equaled a high with 11 3-pointers. Miller, who has missed 26 games due to injuries this season, had four 3-pointers late in the third quarter and early in the fourth as the Wizards took ..."
Mike Miller hits seven three-pointers as Wizards beat Knicks, 106-96
Comment
January 31
Washington Post
 
"The crowd at Verizon Center may have been smaller than usual because of some poor weather outside and some poorer play inside in recent weeks. But the few fans who opted to brave the snow and watch the Washington Wizards were graced by two of the better individual performances of the season. With Antawn Jamison more aggressive than ever on the boards and Mike Miller more aggressive than any other time this season with his jump shot, the Wizards defeated the New York Knicks, 106-96, before a generously-announced crowd of 16,233 on Saturday night. "I thought we would have no one here at all with the way the weather was," Coach Flip Saunders said. "I think our guys were surprised. I think ..."
Larry Hughes on Arenas: 'He'll be back' with Wizards
Comment
January 31
Washington Post
 
"The relationship between Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards has soured to seemingly irrevocable levels, with both sides upset with each other in the aftermath of his felony gun charge and season-ending suspension. An ugly divorce appears inevitable, with speculation that the Wizards would look into voiding Arenas's contract, agree to a buyout on the rest of his six-year, $111-million contract or consumate a trade. But Larry Hughes, Arenas's teammate for three of Arenas's first four seasons in the league with Golden State and Washington, said he believes that Arenas will eventually wear a Wizards uniform again. "Honestly I do," Hughes said before the Knicks played the Wizards on ..."
Wizards 106, Knicks 96
Comment
January 31
Washington Post
 
"On a few occasions, it looked as if Antawn Jamison was attempting to get his master's degree from the Moses Malone School of Stat-Padding Rebounds, as he repeatedly batted around his missed shots, earning offensive rebounds before later getting shots to fall. But after Jamison missed 16 of 26 shots on Saturday night, he was sincere after the Wizards' win over the New York Knicks that he was simply trying to score. "I couldn't make them," Jamison said of his short bunnies in the lane. "Normally with those, I can get a couple to follow. I missed maybe eight or nine like that. But I'll take 'em how I can get them right now." Jamison was coming off a difficult night when he was held to just ..."
Other James: Bring me to MSG
Comment
January 31
New York Post
 
"Amityville's point guard Mike James told The Post he is hoping the Wizards can find a new home for him at Feb. 18's trading deadline and he is the expiring contract the Knicks would be willing to take on as they look for backcourt help. The sharpshooter has played just three games this season and was showcased in a game last week. But he was back in a suit during the Wizards' 106-96 victory over the Knicks last night, even with guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton suspended for the season."
Washington beats up on D'Antoni's struggling crew
Comment
January 31
New York Post
 
"The Wizards are a joke around the nation because of locker room gunplay, but their basketball is still better than anything found in the New York area. One night after topping the Nets on a last-second shot, the Wizards beat up on the reeling Knicks, whose season slipped away some more in snowy Washington. Before a dead, half-empty arena made so by a D.C. snowstorm, the Knicks' 106-96 loss put a serious damper on them remaining in the playoff race. The Knicks dropped 10 games below the .500 mark. "Tonight was a big letdown for us as far as a game we needed to win," said David Lee, who scored 24 points with nine boards, but missed a key free throw in the final two minutes. "No matter the ..."
Larry Hughes expects former teammate Gilbert Arenas to stay with Washington Wizards
Comment
January 31
New York Daily News
 
"Larry Hughes is convinced that his embattled former teammate, Gilbert Arenas, hasn't played his last game for the Wizards. "I think he will (be back)," Hughes said. "This is a special place. I think he'll come to realize that. I can see (him coming back). You get in trouble, you get mad at the authority. But I think it will blow over so I expect to see him back here." Arenas was suspended 50 games by NBA commissioner David Stern after pleading guilty to a felony gun charge. Last month, Arenas brought four guns into the Wizards locker room during a dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton. There is already speculation that the Wizards will try to terminate the four years and $80 million ..."
Knicks can't stop Mike Miller and Antawn Jamison in, 106-96, loss to Washington Wizards
Comment
January 31
New York Daily News
 
"Mike D'Antoni once predicted 37 or 38 wins as being enough to lock down a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But that was before Toronto, Charlotte and Chicago all started inching closer to .500 while the Knicks, well, began their annual January slide. "I don't know about that one," D'Antoni said of his playoff forecast. "I may have to rethink that." The Knicks are beginning to resemble a team that will be making vacation plans for mid-April while 16 others prepare for the playoffs. The Wizards added to the Knicks' misery as Mike Miller knocked down seven 3-pointers in Washington's 106-96 victory. Miller finished with 25 points and exploited the Knicks' zone defense with five threes ..."
Knicks Fall to Wizards as Playoff Spot Recedes Further
Comment
January 31
New York Times
 
"Where once the Knicks charted their progress through a steady rise in the standings, collecting precious percentage points at a time, they now count in reverse. "I guess we're what, 10 under now?" David Lee asked reporters late Saturday night, confirming the Knicks' record after a 106-96 defeat by the Washington Wizards. On Jan. 8, the Knicks were 15-20 and just a half game out of a playoff spot. The loss to the controversy-racked Wizards dropped them to 18-28, five and a half games out, and sinking. It was among the more costly missteps of the season."
Newark native Randy Foye stepping into leadership role for scandal-scarred Washington Wizards
Comment
January 30
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"It was barely two months ago that the Washington Wizards had five point guards, and now Randy Foye is essentially the last man standing. This is not the way the Newark native wanted it, and this isn't the way anyone with the most depraved imagination thought it would end up. But Gilbert Arenas is done for the season, perhaps forever in D.C., a victim of infantile behavior and hubris. Javaris Crittenton, a pending free agent, has likely played his last game in Washington. Mike James is a 33-year-old backup who has been typecast as nothing more than an emergency player. And Earl Boykins, at 5-5, is still merely an explosive novelty. That leaves Foye, the guy Flip Saunders yells at more ..."
NJ Nets lose to Washington Wizards, 81-79, on last-second Earl Boykins shot
Comment
January 30
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Over the last 7:36 Friday night, the Nets might have played their most cohesive and passionate defense of the season, holding Washington to a single field goal and giving the Wiz nothing close to resembling an unobstructed view of the basket. That is essentially what happens when Brook Lopez decides that every inch of defensive territory - from the floor to the rim to the first row of seats, where he paid one visit after one of his four blocks - belongs to him. But with four-tenths of a second left, they gave the smallest man on the floor the most daylight anyone saw in such a defensive struggle, and they paid the price. Earl Boykins, the 5-5 Italian League refugee and one of the great ..."
Washington Wizards edge New Jersey Nets, 81-79
Comment
January 30
Washington Post
 
"Before the Washington Wizards played the New Jersey Nets on Friday, Antawn Jamison was asked how his team could get up for a 4-40 squad. Jamison smiled and said, "Look at our record." The Wizards have had a difficult season, filled with losses and off-court distractions -- including the rest-of-the-season suspension of Gilbert Arenas, which was handed down on Wednesday -- so they aren't feeling sorry for anyone else these days. But they were feeling pretty good after Earl Boykins came around a Jamison screen and made a 16-foot jumper with 0.4 of a second remaining as the Wizards snapped a four-game losing streak with an 81-79 win. Boykins finished with a team-high 15 points in a game where ..."
Wizards 81, Nets 79
Comment
January 30
Washington Post
 
"Wasn't that the kind of game that you would expect from the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference? You had several quarters of bad and inept basketball, and it came down to the final possession. Earl Boykins hit the game-winning shot with 0.4 of a second remaining as the Wizards avoided what would've been a terrible loss to a truly terrible team. It was not a beautful display of basketball. "I don't think you're going to send that tape to Springfield," Coach Flip Saunders said. The Nets (4-41) are bad. I don't think they are so bad that they will finish with a worse record than the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 9-73. But they are really bad. Problem was, for about 15 ..."
New Jersey Nets can't put two wins together as they fall to Washington Wizards, 81-79
Comment
January 30
New York Daily News
 
"So much for a Nets winning streak. Impossible as it may seem, the Nets found a team Friday night with more problems than they have - the Gilbert Arenas-less Washington Wizards - but did not take advantage of Arenas' absence in a crushing 81-79 loss at the Meadowlands. After defeating the Clippers Wednesday night, the Nets saw their chance to post a winning streak for the first time this season go up in smoke when Wizards reserve Earl Boykins drained the game-winner from 16 feet with four-tenths of a second left. The Nets went 4:48 down the stretch without scoring a point. "This hurts," said Brook Lopez, who had tied the game at 79-79 on a layup with 13 seconds left, but missed two crucial ..."
Wizards and Nets in One Unenchanted Evening
Comment
January 30
New York Times
 
"A photograph of Gilbert Arenas adorned the tickets that were distributed for Friday night's game between the Wizards and the Nets, an eerie reminder of an ugly incident that has stained the N.B.A.'s reputation. Arenas and his teammate Javaris Crittenton were suspended Wednesday for the remainder of the season by Commissioner David Stern for bringing guns into their locker room. Nets Coach Kiki Vandeweghe has been in the league for nearly 30 years, time enough to witness many bizarre incidents and events. But two players brandishing guns at each other? That was a first for him. "If you hang around the N.B.A. long enough," Vandeweghe said, "you see a lot of things.""
A 50-game suspension is reasonable for Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas
Comment
January 29
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 columnist John DeShazier
"I figured an 82-game suspension would be the penalty issued to Gilbert Arenas by NBA commissioner David Stern, a full regular season being the price for the foolishness. But a 50-game, without-pay ban is a reasonable alternative. And, all things considered, it's probably a lucky break for Arenas. He and teammate Javaris Crittenton will sit out the rest of this regular season for stupidly believing the Washington Wizards locker room was an acceptable place to store, and flash, guns. They lost the right to play because they engaged in an act that could've escalated into something a lot more dangerous than it did - and storing firearms in the Verizon Center, as Arenas admitted doing, and ..."
Suspensions offer Wizards relief and a stark reality
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January 29
Washington Examiner
 
"As Antawn Jamison struggled under the weight of Washington's seemingly endless 19-63 campaign last year, he always held to a glimmer of hope. Injuries were to blame for landing the Wizards in the basement of the NBA, but with Gilbert Arenas healthy and reinforcements added, 2009-10 would be when the Wizards would finally surge past -- on the mere glimpse of potential they had shown during consecutive playoff runs the previous four seasons. But with the finality of Arenas and Javaris Crittenton being suspended by the league for the remainder of the year, Jamison was left on Thursday wondering if he's further removed than ever before from having more than just a picture of the Larry O'Brien ..."
Leonsis responds to open market claims
Comment
January 29
Washington Examiner
 
"Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has publicly responded to a claim by the estate of the late Abe Pollin that its portion of the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center can be taken to the open market for sale. Washington Sports & Entertainment had been negotiating with Leonsis and his company -- Lincoln Holdings -- to sell Pollin's 56-percent share of the team, the arena and the local Ticketmaster franchise. The original negotiating window ended last week. But in an internal memo obtained by the Washington Post on Wednesday, Washington Sports president of business operations Peter Biche told company employees that Leonsis only has the contractual right to match any outside offers -- not exclusive ..."