ATLANTA, Dec. 3 -- With each win this season, the Washington Wizards seem intent on separating themselves from the sluggish play and unmet expectations that have trailed the team through the years.
This was the case Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks, as the Wizards walked off with a 114-90 victory, their sixth in the last seven games, and with a burgeoning sense that this season may contain a rich promise.
Center Brendan Haywood and the Wizards slam the Atlanta Hawks, 114-90, Friday and are off to their best start since 1984 with a 9-5 record.
(John Amis - AP)
|
|
_____ Who's the Man? _____
Note: This is an unscientific survey of washingtonpost.com readers.
| | |
|
Asked if it was as easy as it looked, Wizards guard Larry Hughes said: "Yep. We're working on closing teams out. When we get on top of them, we want to stay on top of them."
Hughes led seven players in double figures with 19 points and added six steals as the Wizards gave their owner, Abe Pollin, a nice 81st birthday present. It followed Wednesday's 27-point win over the New Jersey Nets. The Hawks fell to 2-13.
The Wizards are off to their best start since 1984 at 9-5.
"Actually we're 2-0 -- in December. We're not worried about last month," said Gilbert Arenas, who had 13 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. "Everybody counted us out at the beginning of the year. You know, 'The same old Wizards team.' But we know what we've got in here. And we're just going to keep playing until the playoffs."
If the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls on Saturday at MCI Center, the franchise will have its best 15-game start since 1974, when the Bullets started 11-4 and won a franchise-record 60 games. Against the Hawks the Wizards won their fifth road game, a feat not reached until Feb. 7 last season. They also have won three in a row for the second time this season after not winning three consecutive games all of last season.
"We're starting to mature," said reserve forward Jarvis Hayes, who added nine points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. "We know the offense better. It was tough last year because it was a new coach, new system, new players and we didn't really know how to play with each other. This year, we're playing with each other and we're a whole lot better than we were last year and it's showing here in the early part of the season."
The Wizards hardly were challenged after the first quarter. Leading 15-13, they scored 23 of the next 28 points and never looked back. Hughes, the league's leader in steals, set the tone defensively, picking up five steals as the Wizards took a 36-18 lead after one quarter.
"We jumped on them. We were ready to go from the jump ball. We didn't have time to wait," Hughes said.
The Wizards had a season-high 18 steals and forced the Hawks into 24 turnovers, which they converted into 29 points. They led 62-35 after Jared Jeffries (12 points, matching a season high) made a three-pointer with three seconds remaining before halftime.
Kwame Brown also had a solid game, scoring 10 points in 20 minutes in a reserve role. Fellow reserve Juan Dixon scored 17 points. He was on the floor and flashed a smile at the start of the fourth quarter, with the Wizards holding a 30-point lead.
Forward Antoine Walker led the Hawks with 26 points on 8 of 23 shooting, and grabbed 11 rebounds.
"It was one of those games where we didn't compete from the beginning to the end. And that's inexcusable," Hawks Coach Mike Woodson said. "These guys get paid big money to play. I'm sorry to the fans."
