Washington Wizards center Etan Thomas and New York Knicks counterpart Dikembe Mutombo took turns dunking on each other, blocking each others' shots and exchanging contemptuous finger wags while the majority of both teams' starters watched last night's game at MCI Center from the sidelines.
Take away the preening big men, however, and you were left with strong performances from Knicks swingmen Tim Thomas and DerMarr Johnson and Washington rookie small forward Jarvis Hayes. There was also clutch free throw shooting by New York and a missed three-pointer from Washington's Steve Blake with nine seconds left in overtime. The result was a 102-98 Knicks victory.
Guard Mitchell Butler of the Wizards gets caught under the basket as Knicks' Shandon Anderson, left, and Dikembe Mutombo block his path.
(Joel Richardson -- The Washington Post)
|
Wizards Insider
WHO'S NEXT?
at Detroit
Monday, 7:30
Comcast SportsNet
WTEM-980
Searching for ways to improve his game, Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas will accompany Coach Eddie Jordan to watch the New Jersey Nets -- and point guard Jason Kidd -- in the playoffs. Jordan recently approached Arenas about the idea so Arenas, a converted shooting guard, can learn more about the tendencies of a true point guard (Kidd is considered one of the NBA's best).
Kidd also orchestrates the motion offense Jordan helped install in New Jersey during his four years there as an assistant coach.
"I'm going with Coach right after the season to the Jersey games just to watch Jason Kidd," Arenas said. "Hopefully, they're playing the Knicks. That's two point guards you can look at playing in the playoffs."
New York's starting point guard, Stephon Marbury, is a scorer like Arenas who, over the years, has developed into one of the NBA's better assists men. Arenas faced Marbury for the fourth time this season in New York's 102-98 overtime victory over the Wizards last night at MCI Center.
"We're just going to talk about how the game is being played, the level of intensity close up for a playoff game. How you can get better at the point guard position," Jordan said. "I just want to go so I can get on TV. If I can go with him, front row, I can be on TV." . . .
Wizards second-year forward Jared Jeffries posted a career-best 17 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers and, besides being the team's most reliable defender, is emerging as a big-time offensive rebounder. Jeffries, who missed most of his rookie year after tearing a ligament in his right knee, said he has been working on becoming a more well-rounded player.
"A lot of guys have great careers [being specialists]," Jeffries said, referring to him being a defensive stopper or predominantly a rebounder. "I feel like I want to be in a situation where, if I'm asked to do it, I'm going to do it. If I'm asked to score 20 points a night, I'll have that ability to do that. We'll see how the rest of my career goes. If I keep developing the way I can, I'll build my own path."
-- Steve Wyche
|
| |
|
"I thought it was in," said Blake (10 points) of his final shot. "I just wanted to make a big shot. I wanted to make it and end the game right there. It didn't go down and unfortunately we lost the game."
It was yet another contest in which the Wizards blew opportunities. The Wizards were a mediocre 18 of 28 from the free throw line, a deficiency that could be directly linked to their defeat as the Knicks made the last six free throws and 25 of 28 overall.
"We thought we had a shot to win," said Wizards guard Juan Dixon, who scored 13 points and played the entire fourth quarter and overtime in place of starter Larry Hughes. "We missed some opportunities, didn't get some defensive rebounds and we missed some easy shots and turned the ball over."
Dixon's floater near the end of regulation would have won it, but instead bounced off the rim. Thus, the Wizards went on to lose their final game in the Atlantic Division. Next season, Washington moves to the newly established Southeastern Division, in which it will compete with the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and expansion Charlotte Bobcats.
The Wizards' loss to the Knicks dropped them to 3-21 in the Atlantic Division, in which the New Jersey Nets and Heat are the only teams with winning records. The Knicks improved to 38-42 and secured, at worst, a seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
New York didn't play starters Stephon Marbury (four points, six assists), Kurt Thomas (10 points, eight rebounds) and Nazr Mohammed (one rebound) more than 24 minutes, while Hayes (career-high 23 points) and forward Jared Jeffries (two points, 11 rebounds) were the only Wizards starters to play more than 28 minutes.
Washington also played without regulars Jerry Stackhouse (sore right ankle) and Kwame Brown (sore left ankle).
"I just thought Stevie was doing well and Juan was doing okay and it got to a point where Larry and Gilbert [Arenas] played a lot of minutes [Friday night vs. Philadelphia] and I wanted to see if we could win the game with the team's young guys," Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan explained.
Hayes was the only starter in double figures. Etan Thomas added 17 off the bench. Johnson, a D.C. native, had a career-high 22 points for New York, matching Thomas's point total. Former Georgetown star Michael Sweetney had a career-high 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Knicks, who trailed by 12 in the second quarter, pulled to a 96-92 lead in overtime on Sweetney's bucket after a Frank Williams's runner. The Wizards answered with four straight points to tie the game on Dixon's baseline floater. Dixon was then called for a foul against Williams on the ensuing possession and New York's backup point guard nailed both free throws.
"I thought I was being aggressive on the ball and coming down to a situation like that I didn't think they should make a call," Dixon said.
After a timeout, Blake got a clean look for a three-pointer from the right wing with nine seconds remaining, but the ball rattled in and out. Guard Moochie Norris countered with two free throws to give the Knicks a four-point lead Washington could not overcome.
