The Wizards fell at home to the so-so Milwaukee Bucks 97-91, despite holding a double-digit lead in the second half. The Wiz fell apart in the last 6 minutes, as they often have this year, being outscored 28-17 in the 4th quarter and being shut out in the final 93 seconds of the game, sealing Milwaukee’s triumph. If you think you’ve seen the Wizards lose a game that way before, you’re right. Head Coach Ed Tapscott summed it up this way: ”Doesn’t it feel like we’ve seen this movie before? It’s a constant loop.” Backup SG Nick Young seems to understand what is going on:
“We just worry too much in the fourth quarter,” Young said. “It’s in the back of our minds or something. Every team comes back on us. They start making a run and you can see it on our faces. We have to just push through that.”
The bad news: SG Caron Butler was awful, hitting only 2 of 13 shots and not dishing a single assist for the first time this season. PG Mike James just keeps shooting no matter what. He was almost as bad as Butler, missing 10 of his 12 shots. When your starting backcourt shoots 4 of 25 from the field, you won’t win many games.
The good news: Nick Young continued his recent streak of good play, hitting 12 of 19 shots and scoring a career-high 30 points. It’s the second career-high scoring night for Young in the last 3 games. Unfortunately, both were losses. It’s possible a light has switched on for Young and he’s becoming the player he ought to be. If so, that’s very good news for the Wizards because Caron Butler won’t have too many nights like this one.
Dominic McGuire scored only 2 points, but he did have 10 rebounds and 5 assists in under 27 minutes. If he ever learns to shoot at all, Run DMc is going to be one hell of a player.
The ol’ veteran, The Captawn, Antawn Jamison, battled through sore right knee that made him a game-time decision to score 25 points on 9-14 shooting. The knee clearly affected Jamison’s rebounding, as he managed to pull only 3 of them down, far below his normal production.
One thing that would help the Wizards avoid these scoring droughts that afflict them, particularly in the 4th quarter, is attack the basket more often.
According to 82Games.com, a Web site that tracks statistical trends, 66 percent of the team’s attempts are jump shots, 29 percent are close to the rim, 3 percent are dunks and 1 percent are tip-ins.
The best basket-attacker on the roster is Gilbert Arenas but he is’t available just now.
The only thing the Wizards can do is just try to fight through this. Gilbert Arenas would have ensured that they won this game. He would have put the team on his back in the 4th quarter and sealed the win. But he’s not around and won’t be for some time, so they have to battle through without him. I hoped one of the other players, Butler or Young, most likely, would develop that killer instinct and become the shutdown winner in the 4th quarter like Arenas. So far, though, it hasn’t happened. In Butler’s case, you have to think it probably would have happened by now if it was going to happen. Maybe Young, in the midst of this red-hot streak of his, can find the strength to will his team to victory in the 4th quarter. If not, there are a lot more losses like this one to come.
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