wiz vs. celtics part dos game thread

[hands11]

Now that's some sweet ta tahs


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280114002

Wizards pick up back-to-back victories over Celtics

BOSTON (AP) -- Caron Butler scored 21 and Washington beat Boston 88-83 on Monday night for the Wizards' second victory over the Celtics in three days.

Antawn Jamison added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who handed Boston its first two-game losing streak of the season.

Butler scored nine points during a 25-6 run over the final 6:24 of the fourth quarter to give the Wizards their fifth win in the last six games against Boston

railing by 14, the Wizards went on an improbable 19-4 run to take an 82-81 lead with 40.1 seconds remaining capped off by a Butler lay in and foul shot after being fouled by Kendrick Perkins.

[fishercob]

Tremendous win!

I wonder what odds Vegas would have given on the Wiz sweeping the back to back.

Ernie Grunfeld is the man. A healthy Pecherov has already led to more Haywood and Blatche together. When Etan returns we could actually see even more.

Eddie Jordan is the man. Calmed his guys down when things started to unravel in the 4th. Never loses control. Always poised. He's close to earning an extension.

Add Gilbert to this team and things get very interesting. I'm not at all buying that he'd mess things up. He did just fine on a team loaded with talent at Arizona. But with our size and depth, a healthy Wizards team indeed reminds me of those championship Pistons -- both the Bad Boys and the more recent incarnation.

And the Wiz and the C's are developing a rivalry. How nice is that to have again?

Though I'd be disappointed if the Wiz lost to the Knicks, I wouldnt be shocked -- coming off two emotionally (and physically) draining wins, especially on the second night of a back to back.

Great win. Everyone should be proud.

GO WIZ!

[80sballboy]

Blatche was -10 for the game and I was trying to figure out why. He had two BA's.

Totally misleading. That's why I hate that stat. Put Haywood with Young, Songaila and Mason and see how good the +/- is. Love the way Wood defended tonight, but also was careless with the ball, esp. in the first half. Damn Knicks game really worries me, especially the way they blew out Detroit the other night. Bench has to start doing something other than waving their towels. Maybe Pecherov can actually step in the paint offense, if he's not too scared.

[Wiz99]

And the Knicks thinking they're god for knocking off a tired Detroit squad.

[fishercob]

I still can't believe we won that game. AJ was missing layups during the game, refs were making every call against us, the Wizards looked dogged tired to begin the 4th quarter, and the Celtics defense was pretty stifling until the end. It was simply perserverence and great D by the Wiz kids. I think the Wizards are finally starting to buy into the idea that defense wins games, because itssomething that you can always bring, night in and night out, regardless if your shots are falling.

I can understand why some people are wondering if this team is better without Arenas. However, I keep thinking HOW BETTER this team can be with him in the line-up. If he buys into the way the Wizards are playing now, this team can be one of the best in the NBA. We are playing extremely well right now, we are fooling ourselves if we think we are a championship caliber team. With Gilbert buying into the team concept and team Defense, this team can be a championship caliber team.

Agreed, provided Blacthe, Pecherov, Young and McGuire continue to improve. If those guys grow and Gil comes back and fits in, we're contenders.

[dandridge 10]

Tremendous win!

I wonder what odds Vegas would have given on the Wiz sweeping the back to back.

Ernie Grunfeld is the man. A healthy Pecherov has already led to more Haywood and Blatche together. When Etan returns we could actually see even more.

Eddie Jordan is the man. Calmed his guys down when things started to unravel in the 4th. Never loses control. Always poised. He's close to earning an extension.

Add Gilbert to this team and things get very interesting. I'm not at all buying that he'd mess things up. He did just fine on a team loaded with talent at Arizona. But with our size and depth, a healthy Wizards team indeed reminds me of those championship Pistons -- both the Bad Boys and the more recent incarnation.

And the Wiz and the C's are developing a rivalry. How nice is that to have again?

Though I'd be disappointed if the Wiz lost to the Knicks, I wouldnt be shocked -- coming off two emotionally (and physically) draining wins, especially on the second night of a back to back.

Great win. Everyone should be proud.

GO WIZ!

Fishercob, you mention the Pistons. I was actually thinking that the Wizards looked like the Pistons tonight. They looked like a poised veteran team that can lock down on D when necessary.

[THE WIZZINATOR]

I still can't believe we won that game. AJ was missing layups during the game, refs were making every call against us, the Wizards looked dogged tired to begin the 4th quarter, and the Celtics defense was pretty stifling until the end. It was simply perserverence and great D by the Wiz kids. I think the Wizards are finally starting to buy into the idea that defense wins games, because itssomething that you can always bring, night in and night out, regardless if your shots are falling.

I can understand why some people are wondering if this team is better without Arenas. However, I keep thinking HOW BETTER this team can be with him in the line-up. If he buys into the way the Wizards are playing now, this team can be one of the best in the NBA. We are playing extremely well right now, we are fooling ourselves if we think we are a championship caliber team. With Gilbert buying into the team concept and team Defense, this team can be a championship caliber team.

Totally agree. Well said. I am just not with the anti-gil contingent on this page. We can & will be a better team with agent zero back in the mix. Let's not forget all the things he's done for this franchise the past several years- we were nowhere on the map as a franchise before gil showed up in DC. EG- I hope you are paying attention. We need to do any & everything possible to keep gil a wizard for the long haul.

[queridiculo]

With all those hypothetical garbage trades being thrown up left and right everytime an article rehashes the ole "Gilbert opting out" article I can't help but think how this team would look had we somehow put together a trade for Kobe that kept Butler, AJ, BH and AD on this team.

Don't get me wrong, I love Gil, but with Kobe in the fold we'd be a legit contender that can get it done on both ends of the floor.

[Wiz99]

For tonight...

[dandridge 10]

Tonight was a good example of how Arenas could have really helped us. During most of the game, the Celtics were really pressing our guards hard. The problem was Stevenson and Daniels don't have the quickness and handles to make them pay. Arenas would have been going to the hole all night long with that kind of pressure. He would have made the Celtics pay for pressuring so much.

[Wiz99]

With all those hypothetical garbage trades being thrown up left and right everytime an article rehashes the ole "Gilbert opting out" article I can't help but think how this team would look had we somehow put together a trade for Kobe that kept Butler, AJ, BH and AD on this team.

Don't get me wrong, I love Gil, but with Kobe in the fold we'd be a legit contender that can get it done on both ends of the floor.

The kool aid tastes really good, but I gotta agree with Hermit. That's assuming Kobe was available, which apparently he wasn't.

[Benjammin]

Who cares about the Bobcats? Bobcats didn't beat the Celtics in consecutive games. Those bastards on ESPN spent all their time about the Celtics, and nothing about the Wizards. Just another reason to hate the "Worldwide leader in sports".

[hands11]

This team is very good right now. It is still not an elite team. Let's not lose sight of the fact that the Wizards looked incapable of scoring on the Celtics for the better part of 3 1/2 quarters. Same goes for Saturday night.

So yes, they're playing as a unit right now and it's really fun to watch. But nobody in the league can break down a defense like Gil. I'm holding off on the run Gil out of town talk for now because I know that if he comes back and he is 100% for the playoffs, and the rest of the team plays like this, we could do great things.

Is it possible that the rest of the team is simply better than it was last season? What if Gil buys into the team concept after watching every game from home? It's scary to think what this team can do when he gets back.

Id say a win like this give us a better then average shot at GA getting what he needs to do.

I don't see how he could come back and not focus on D when the rest of the team is. I always thought GIL could be a great defender but just never gave the effort.

But the bigger issue is can he be more selective with his shot. One of the reason we stayed in this way no one took stupid shoots. We worked the clock. Less run and gun wide open ball goes hand and hand with this better defense you are seeing. We are keeping a balanced court. When we didn't, you saw the fast breaks they got on us.

Part of this good D come from AD running the offense and slowing it down

Gil is going to have to change a lot of his focus to fit in with what we are doing. Is he willing to do it is the question. This team is 180 degree different then the team he left.

Can Gil check his ego at the door? That's a big question for an ego like GA. This team doesn't need Gilbertology.

The cats out. There is no putting it back.

[Wiz99]

Who cares about the Bobcats? Bobcats didn't beat the Celtics in consecutive games. Those bastards on ESPN spent all their time about the Celtics, and nothing about the Wizards. Just another reason to hate the "Worldwide leader in sports".

I was wondering if anyone else noticed that, too.

[80sballboy]

Tonight was a good example of how Arenas could have really helped us. During most of the game, the Celtics were really pressing our guards hard. The problem was Stevenson and Daniels don't have the quickness and handles to make them pay. Arenas would have been going to the hole all night long with that kind of pressure. He would have made the Celtics pay for pressuring so much.

Good point, but I don't think the Celts would have pressed a healthy Arenas or trapped him as much. Stevenson and I love the way he's played, looks like a damn linebacker (think he's a bit too bulky) and AD is probably still favoring the knee a bit and is of course aging. Of course we miss the guy offensively, but as I said before the last two nights, I just wonder if we he would have bought into the defensive philosophy. I almost think that if he came back in March, you start him out slowly and tell him to become instant offense off that bench and carry those guys. In that case, Mason moves to the 2 and Young gets very few minutes if any.


Thinking way too ahead of myself, but that's what wins like these do, because they have been so few and far between.

[THE WIZZINATOR]

-= original quote snipped =-



I was wondering if anyone else noticed that, too.

This is just ridiculous. Anthony spent 1 minute on the Wizards after they went on and on about the Celtics. I just don't get it. I thought for sure they'd call out specific players & start talking about the growth of the Wizards. Instead? They go on, and on, and on about the freakin' bobcats.

PFFFFFT.

[hands11]

With all those hypothetical garbage trades being thrown up left and right everytime an article rehashes the ole "Gilbert opting out" article I can't help but think how this team would look had we somehow put together a trade for Kobe that kept Butler, AJ, BH and AD on this team.

Don't get me wrong, I love Gil, but with Kobe in the fold we'd be a legit contender that can get it done on both ends of the floor.

But it sounded pretty crazy when myself and others we saying we should do it. Funny. A crazy idea one day seems like a great idea on another. It well may seem crazy again sometime in the future. Time is a funny thing.

[THE WIZZINATOR]

-= original quote snipped =-



But it sounded pretty crazy when myself and others we saying we should do it. Funny. A crazy idea one day seems like a great idea on another. It will may seem crazy againn sometime in the future. Time is a funny thing.

Yes. That's because it is crazy.

Gilbert isn't even in his prime yet & he gets along with his teammates. Kobe is a selfish player who has consistently alienated his teammates & created conflict on any team he's been a part of.

Where has all the love & respect for Gil gone??????

Just 2 years ago everyone on this page would never have spent a single second questioning hibachi. Let's hope he gets healthy & comes back strong for the stretch run. More importantly, let's hope he stays a wizard for years to come.

[nateteaches]

Great win! I've been watching our bench while they are actually on "the bench", and was quite impressed with the passion of Opec. He's new to the squad and hasn't play but 10 minutes this season but his enthusiasm and encouragement for the guys on the floor is very apparent. He had to be held back from jumping onto the court after CB hit his money lay up. If his play on the floor is just as passionate as when he is cheering for his teammates on the bench, we should see some good play out of him.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

PUNCH, COUNTERPUNCH! PUNCH. COUNTER PUNCH!!! PUNCH! DONKEY PUNCH!!!!!!!!

KNOCK OUT!!!

WOO.