Wizards can't connect in second battle with Sixers

Williams (center) was a force tonight for the Sixers
(AP Photo/Nick Wass).

Despite four Wizards starters in double figures, Washington would fall to the Philadelphia 76ers for the second straight time tonight in an 109-103 home loss.  Sixers reserve Lou Williams opened fire at the Verizon Center, scoring 16 points in his first 6 minutes and finishing with 26, while the Wizards Antawn Jamison battled through with his strained left thumb to pick up 23 points and 10 rebounds in his 16th double-double of the season.

In the first half, the Wizards took advantage of the Sixers inside, due to a recent injury which sidelined star forward, Elton Brand.  Andray Blatche and Mike James played well to start the first, and Nick Young exploded in the second with 12 points in 10 minutes to help give the Wizards a 57-56 lead on the Sixers at half.

The Wizards went 12-for-20 at the free throw line in the first half, and could have used some of those points going into the second half. 

Although the Wizards initially did well against the Sixers inside, Philly outscored Washington 25-7 on fastbreak points by the end of the game.  The Sixers also shot a fraction under 43% from the three point line on 9-for-21 shooting.

One issue for Washington was Darius Songaila, who did not seem to have the hustle, and certainly not the foot-speed needed to defend Philadelphia's fastbreak.  Another issue was ball control, and the Wizards gave up the ball at least seven times in the fourth on bad passes and other turnover situations.  Andray Blatche played well as a replacement for Songaila down the stretch of the fourth, but with the score 103-101, Philly, and less than 45 seconds on the shot clock, Blatche shorted a long baseline jumper that would have given the Wizards a tie.  Prior, Blatche had given the Wizards their last four buckets, and it was just a matter of luck for Blatche, not a forced shot, and not a poor shot.

Washington tried to play the foul game down the stretch, but the Sixers were a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, including an amazing 8-for-8 from Thaddeus Young over the course of the game.  Young has averaged less than 70% from the free throw line this season.

After a dismal night in Detroit, Caron Butler bounced back and finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds, but his 6 turnovers are an unwelcome sign for the Wizards.  Butler has a tendency to get in the air sometimes, and then look to pass, which is a cardinal sin in terms of basketball fundamentals, and something Washington will hope to avoid, as a team, looking ahead to Sunday's home game against the Dallas Mavericks.