Role Players Step Up In Arenas's Absence

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 27 -- The Big Three has been reduced to the Big Two. But the way Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are playing for the Washington Wizards this season, the loss of three-time all-star Gilbert Arenas may not be as disastrous as many expected.

The Wizards improved to 4-2 without Arenas with a 110-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, and much of the heavy lifting was done by Butler (35 points with eight rebounds and a career-high five three-pointers) and Jamison (27 points and six rebounds) as Washington won in Dallas after losing its last five games there.

Yet Butler was quick to point out that the win would not have happened without contributions from throughout the lineup.

"Everybody came up big for us," Butler said before rattling off the names and efforts of several Wizards. "We know as a group that it's going to have to be like that for us to win. We have what it takes in this locker room to be a good team and keep things rolling until Gil can get back."

Arenas is expected to miss at least three months, but if recent games are any indication, the Wizards (7-7) have more than enough talent to remain competitive.

In six games as a starter, Antonio Daniels is averaging 12.3 points, 7.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 45.5 percent from the field.

On Monday night, Daniels gave the Mavericks fits with dribble penetration and finished with a season-high 16 points to go along with six assists and only two turnovers in nearly 41 minutes.

Coach Eddie Jordan is clearly reluctant to take Daniels off the floor, but when he did during a key stretch from the end of the third quarter to the start of the fourth, a unit consisting of Butler, rookie Nick Young, Roger Mason Jr., Darius Songaila and Andray Blatche maintained a double-digit lead.

Young was particularly impressive as he answered a three-pointer by Dallas reserve Jose Barea by going coast to coast and making a finger-roll layup over Dirk Nowitzki.

On the following possession, Young drove and scooped in another layup and, on the next, he again penetrated but missed. Brendan Haywood was there for the putback layup, giving the Wizards a 14-point lead.

Young, the team's first-round draft pick, has learned to make the most of limited minutes. When he checked in at the end of the third quarter Monday night, Young sensed that the game was at a crucial stage, but he wasn't intimidated.

"They were trying to make a run so I just wanted to be aggressive," Young said. "I got a rebound and started pushing it, and the lane just opened up. One thing Caron is always telling me is: Don't play scared. I've played in a couple of games now, and I'm getting more confident. I'm seeing that I can go to the hole. I don't want to do it every time, but I feel that I can get there when I need to."

Monday's victory erased some of the sting associated with back-to-back losses to the hot-shooting Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, but the second leg of the team's four-game road trip won't get any easier Wednesday night when the Wizards face the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, who fell to 12-3 with a 112-99 loss at Sacramento on Monday night.

The Wizards haven't won at San Antonio since Dec. 11, 1999, losing seven consecutive games. Snapping that streak will require the type of defensive intensity the team displayed against the Mavericks.

Washington held Dallas to 38.1 percent shooting in the second half and used a rotation of defenders to slow Nowitzki, last year's most valuable player, after a hot start. That kind of effort, combined with the offensive exploits of Butler and Jamison and solid contributions from other players, should give the Wizards a chance against any opponent.

"It's not going to be just me or just Antawn or any individual," Butler said. "It's going to be collective. We feel that we have a great chemistry going, and we're going to keep on pushing."