Wizards Fall Short in Overtime
In Season Opener, Arenas's Game-Tying 3 at End of Regulation Is for Naught: Pacers 119, Wizards 110

By Ivan Carter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 1, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 -- When Gilbert Arenas forced overtime by making a three-pointer over Indiana Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley in the closing seconds of regulation Wednesday night, the fans inside Conseco Fieldhouse slumped in their seats, as if they knew that the Washington Wizards were about to put their team away.

However, the Arenas-inspired Halloween nightmare never happened because the Pacers, who played without injured starters Jermaine O'Neal and Troy Murphy, clamped down on Arenas and hit a string of big shots in the extra session to emerge with a 119-110 victory in the opener for both teams.

Arenas led the Wizards with 34 points on 10-of-25 shooting in his first regular season action since suffering a left knee injury last April 4 but missed seven of eight three-point attempts and also missed six free throws.

The Wizards shot 36.4 percent and made only 32 of 45 free throw attempts. They also struggled to contain Tinsley in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Pacers outscored the Wizards 16-7 in the extra period and made a trio of backbreaking three-pointers.

"After that shot went in, we all thought we were going to win and then we start out by making a couple of free throws in overtime, but from there they came down and hit some threes and it got away from us," said Arenas, who missed all three of his shot attempts in the extra session when he said he was battling cramps in both legs. "From there, we just couldn't find a shot."

The Wizards also couldn't handle Tinsley, who scored 16 of his 20 points after the third quarter and repeatedly picked the Washington defense apart with dribble penetration off of a high pick-and-roll play.

Tinsley, who was defended by Arenas and then Antonio Daniels down the stretch, either drove and got his own shot or passed out to an open teammate such as Danny Granger, who made two of his five three-pointers in overtime on shots that were a direct result of Tinsley's playmaking. Mike Dunleavy, who finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds, was another Tinsley benefactor.

Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said he considered using his best defender, DeShawn Stevenson, to slow Tinsley but elected against it because Stevenson, who hurt his left knee early in the game, had been on the bench for nearly the entire second half.

"DeShawn had been sitting there for a long time getting stiff so I decided to go with [Daniels] because I felt he had a feel for the game," Jordan said. "It was nothing against DeShawn."

The loss spoiled a strong effort by Wizards center Brendan Haywood, who scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high 11 offensive rebounds in just under 30 minutes. Antawn Jamison added 27 points and 16 rebounds, but shot 8 of 25.

Caron Butler, who said he felt anxious because he was so excited to finally play in a game that mattered, missed six of his first seven shots and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, but also turned the ball over eight times.

The Wizards trailed 28-22 at the end of the first quarter and 48-45 at halftime but put together a 13-2 run at the start of the third quarter and appeared to be ready to take control when a Butler steal and dunk gave them a 58-50 lead and forced Indiana to call a timeout.

However, the Pacers charged back with an 8-0 run and neither team could create separation through the remainder of regulation as the lead changed hands 15 times in the final 15 minutes. A pair of Tinsley free throws gave Indiana a 103-100 lead with 6.8 seconds remaining, but the Wizards called a timeout and set up a play that has been a Jordan staple.

Arenas inbounded the ball from the wing to Jamison, who pivoted and then gave the ball back to Arenas. With Tinsley on him tightly, Arenas patiently dribbled beyond the top of the circle, created a sliver of space and released a 25-foot jump shot that sliced through the net as time expired.

The shot was similar to many Arenas made last season, when he won four games with shots or free throws as time expired.

"When that shot goes in, obviously, we're thinking it's winning time," Daniels said. "But then we let them off the hook."