Miami's Beached, but Wizards Are Wary

"It was a miserable, miserable, miserable offensive night," Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We had trouble getting good shots and when we got them, we couldn't make them."

The victory also provided a confidence boost following two previous losses to the Magic this season. Should the current seedings hold, the Wizards would meet the third-place Magic in a first-round playoff series.

However, the seedings could shift quickly, and that is another reason why Friday's game against the depleted Heat is so crucial for the Wizards. The team returns home to face 49-19 Detroit on Sunday night and then opens a five-game West Coast trip in Portland on Tuesday night.

"I don't think you have to worry about a letdown at all," said forward Antawn Jamison, who posted his 38th double-double of the season Wednesday night with 31 points and 11 rebounds. "We know that a team's record doesn't say everything. There have been so many situations where a team comes in and beats a team like Orlando and then you go to Miami and let the sun rays melt your brain a little bit. But we'll be focused on the task at hand, winning these two games and coming home to face Detroit before the West Coast swing. This is a must-win game for us."

The good news for the Wizards is that they are 6-0 on the road against Southeast Division opponents this season and already own a pair of victories over the Heat, 104-91 at Miami on Dec. 13 and 96-74 at Verizon Center on Dec. 29.

Following Wednesday's victory, Coach Eddie Jordan's said his players were free from the curfew following that night's flight to Miami.

"I even said no curfew" on Wednesday night, Jordan said. "So, in Miami, you might as well get your fun in because there's going to be one Thursday."