Washington remains winless in own division after fall to Charlotte

January 10, 10:03 PMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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Blatche defends against former Bullet/Wizard Juwan
Howard (AP Photo/Nick Wass).

Nick Young continued his hot shooting streak tonight in Washington, but the Wizards couldn't answer the Charlotte Bobcats in the fourth and fell in an embarrassing 92-89 finish.  The Phoenix contingent of Boris Diaw and Raja Bell combined for 37 points to aid Charlotte in their road victory, while in the loss, the Wizards remain without a single win within their own division and are now 7-29 (.194) on the season.

The Wizards jumped ahead early tonight due to Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler combining for 12 points in the first quarter.  After combining for only 14 points in the entire game last night (only 2 points for Caron), the duo looked ready to play at home, but their returns wouldn't keep in the second quarter, and a Jamison tweak before halftime limited the co-captain as he played through the pain in the second half.

Up by as much as thirteen in the game, the Wizards found their best basketball tonight when the combo of Andray Blatche, Nick Young, and JaVale McGee were hot.  Blatche finished tonight with a strong double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds), while Young scored 12 points off the bench. 

McGee had 9 points and 4 rebounds in the first half, but did not earn many minutes in the second half and did not see fourth quarter play.  He had two nice dunks, including one that came with about a minute left in the first quarter in which McGee looked as if he picked the ball up from the floor to dunk it.  Pretty impressive.

While McGee might have earned an ESPN Top Ten nomination, Washington's team defense didn't cut it tonight.  Charlotte's ex-Phoenix duo were just too much for the Wizards.  Diaw and Bell kept the Bobcats in the game with 23 combined points in the first half, and continued to push in the second half by attacking the basket.  In the third quarter, the Wizards saw their slim 49-45 half time lead vanish as the Bobcats went on a 14-2 run to end the quarter.

The Wizards would have one final shot in the fourth to achieve their first divisional victory of the season, and with the score 90-89, Nick Young received the ball and the Wizards gave him isolation.  Young made a nice move, pushed off, and put up a soft jumper, but it was no good, and the Wizards had to foul with only 0.6 seconds left on the game clock (I would have argued, if I were coach, to put more time on the clock).

The Bobcats sank both free throws, 92-89, the Wizards in-bounded the ball from half court, Charlotte caused a deflection, the ball went out of bounds, game over.

I don't understand why McGee does not get more minutes.  One thing I want to highlight tonight is a zero-stat; McGee had 0 fouls tonight in just under 19 minutes played.  Fouls have been the major issue for both McGee and Blatche, and I really don't understand why you play a Songaila or a McGuire when you have a red-hot McGee waiting on the bench with a 9-point first half.

With that thought out of the way, the Wizards will have a day off to think things over yet again, and then host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

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