Washington can't connect for three in loss to New Orleans

December 30, 11:15 PMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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Posey baits Dominic McGuire in the corner
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

The Washington Wizards broke stride with a 97-85 loss tonight against the New Orleans Hornets to snap a two game winning streak.  Caron Butler remained sidelined for a third straight game and Antawn Jamison was again asked to carry the load, scoring 22 points and picking up 12 rebounds for his 241st career double-double.  Chris Paul led the Hornets with a triple-double picking up 15 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Not exactly a repeat of the back-to-back losses Washington suffered to New Orleans in preseason.  The Wizards held tough with the Hornets in the first half, tying up the score 46-all on a half court three by DeShawn Stevenson at the buzzer, despite Antawn Jamison scoring only 2 points in the first quarter.

Mid-way into the second half, the Hornets began to muscle.  David West went 8-for-15 and Tyson Chandler went 5-for-8, combining for 31 points, while James Posey knocked down 14 points off the bench to go along with 2 blocks.  Then you have CP3's All-Star performance.

The Wizards only lost three in the rebounding battle, and even shot the ball better than the Hornets, but from beyond the three point arc, the Hornets killed the Wizards, +27 points.  The man of the hour for the Hornets was Rasual Butler, who shot 5-for-8 from downtown, scoring 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting.

What we learn from this first of two meetings is the Wizards can handle the bigs inside, and the rebounding provided by Chandler and West can be countered, however, perimeter defense is still a concern.

The Wizards will take two days off and enjoy the New Year despite this bittersweet loss, and then challenge the Boston Celtics as their first task of 2009.  Maybe enjoy is a strong word.


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