Wizards, Bobcats close out home-and-home set
April 4th, 2007
(Sports Network) - The Washington Wizards are caught in a funk and will try to right the ship tonight versus the Charlotte Bobcats in the back end of a home- and-home series at the Verizon Center.
Washington dropped a 122-102 decision on Tuesday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena and lost control of the lead in the Southeast Division. The Miami Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors last night and grabbed a half-game lead over the Wizards in the Southeast standings.
Gilbert Arenas scored 33 points and Etan Thomas had a career-high 17 points and 14 boards for the Wizards, who have lost five of their last seven games. DeShawn Stevenson had 17 points and Darius Songalia 16 for Washington.
Washington played its first game without forward Caron Butler, who broke his right hand in Sunday's win over Milwaukee, and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Butler made the All-Star team and is averaging a career-high 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds this season.
The Wizards, who are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, open a short two-game homestand versus Charlotte and Cleveland. They are 26-10 as the host this season.
Charlotte has won three of its last four games and is 5 1/2 games off a playoff spot with seven games remaining. In Tuesday's 20-point win over Washington, Gerald Wallace scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the way.
Walter Herrmann added 21 points, Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Raymond Felton finished with 17 points and 14 assists for the Bobcats, who will try to improve their 10-27 road record this evening.
On the injury front for the Bobcats, guard Derek Anderson (knee) is expected to miss Wednesday's game, while center Primoz Brezec (ankle) is questionable against Washington.
Wednesday's game between Charlotte and Washington is the third of four meetings this season. The Wizards are 2-0 so far this season and have won five straight and nine of the 10 all-time meetings.
The Bobcats have lost all five meetings in D.C.
Always like betting the back end of home and home games and the Wizards should bounce back tonight -7 😉
Always like betting the back end of home and home games and the Wizards should bounce back tonight -7 😉
Wizards' Arenas injures knee
Wed, Apr 4, 2007
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Gilbert Arenas sprained his left knee in a collision with Gerald Wallace in the first quarter of Wednesday night's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Wallace fell into Arenas as the Bobcats forward completed an acrobatic reverse layup along the baseline late in the first quarter. The contact bent Arenas' knee awkwardly as he fell to the court.
Once he was helped to his feet, Arenas immediately left for the locker room. A team spokesman said Arenas was unlikely to return.
Arenas had been in the game less than two minutes. He did not start for the first time this season because he was late for the team's shootaround.
Wonderful :-","xx