McGee secures Washington a victory over Memphis

JaVale McGee slams (AP Photo/Lance Murphey)

JaVale McGee led all scores tonight with 20 off the bench to secure an 89-80 Washington Wizards victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.  The rookie reserve center grabbed 8 boards and made 3 blocks in addition to stepping to the free throw line and sinking 4-for-8. 

Despite being down early, McGee's aggressive play style and confidence gave the Wizards a huge step in the second quarter.  Washington used McGee's energy to finish the half 43-35, and from there, the Wizards didn't look back.  Etan Thomas finished with 8 points on 3-for-4 shooting to go with 5 boards.  Andray Blatche chipped in 14 points, dished 4 assists, and stole the ball twice, but picked up four fouls in the first half and ended the game with 5 turnovers. 

The duo of McGee and Blatche combined for 14-for-23 from the field and are continuing to be the highlight of the Wizards preseason thus far.  Dominic McGuire and Linton Johnson III each had 8 rebounds, but neither have proven to be reliable scorers.  McGuire, despite earning a starting role tonight, played less minutes than he did off the bench against Dallas Tuesday night, and has accumulated 4 points in 36 minutes between the two games.  Ouch.  If Washington needs a forward who can rebound, they might look at point guard Dee Brown, who finished the game with 7 points, 6 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals.  Otherwise, McGuire is going to have to step it up.  On the other hand, forward/guard DerMarr Johnson had another strong offensive night with 11 points off the bench, but also provided defense with 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Memphis tried to rally in the second half, but the Wizards as a team shot the ball with better accuracy and guarded the perimeter, allowing Memphis a dismal 11.8% from the three-point line.  Memphis' Rudy Gay had a quiet first half with only 5 points, but made up for it in the second half by scoring 16.  Hakim Warrick had a huge first half, with 11 points on 3-for-7 shooting, 7 rebounds, and a block.  He also went to the charity stripe and made 5-for-8.  Warrick finished the game with 16 points, 11 boards, and 3 blocks.  Between Etan Thomas and Hakim Warrick, tonight was not a bad fantasy night for Syracuse fans.

Gay and Warrick played 38 minutes each in the exhibition game, whereas the Wizards JaVale McGee clocked the most minutes for Washington with just over 27.  Memphis' Iranian big, Hamed Haddadi, played only 8 minutes and took only one shot attempt, and Antoine Walker played 11 minutes without scoring a single point (including 0-for-4 at the free throw line).  Marc Gasol started the game at center and finished with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and grabbed 9 rebounds.

Did Not Play
Caron Butler did not play although he is thought to be without injury.  Antawn Jamison is recovering from a right knee bruise and is expected to return for Washington's season opener against New Jersey.  Brendan Haywood is expected to have surgery on his wrist and will be out for an extended period of time.  Nick Young and Juan Dixon remained on the bench as well, and Gilbert Arenas is expected to be out until mid-December or later.