Game 3: Player of the Game - Wizards @ Cavaliers (4/25)

[WizStorm]

For the streak busting playoff victory over our nemesis Cleveland Cavaliers, here are tonight's Player of the Game heroes to choose from...


Deshawn "I Can't Feel My Face" Stevenson: 19 points (FG:5/9, 3P:5/7, FT:4/4), 1 assist,
3 steals, 1 turnover, 29 Minutes, plus/minus +25


Roger Mason: 18 points (FG:8/14, 3P:2/3), 1 assist,
2 rebounds, 2 steals, 28 minutes, plus/minus +19


Caron "Tough Juice" Butler: 17 points (FG:7/14, 3P:0/3, FT:3/3), 3 rebounds,
4 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 37 minutes, plus/minus +28


Antawn Jamison: 15 points (FG:5/10, 3P:1/2, FT:4/6), 7 rebounds,
1 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 30 minutes, plus/minus +20


Brendan "Mr T." Haywood: 14 points (FG:5/6, FT:4/4), 6 rebounds,
3 assists, 1 steal, 27 minutes, plus/minus +26


Antonio Daniels: 9 points (FG:2/4, 3P:0/1, FT:5/7), 6 assists,
4 rebounds, 23 minutes, plus/minus +27


Andray Blatche: 8 points (FG:3/6, 3P:0/1, FT:2/6), 7 rebounds,
1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 25 minutes, plus/minus +13


Feel free to post your thoughts and argue the merits for your favorite candidate as well as props to the supporting cast.


For the FINAL Regular Season Player of the Game Summary statistics for the 2007/2008 Season, click HERE

[WizStorm]

Here are some visual aides from the game to help make your decision:

Caron with the Paul Pierce jersey pop...


No words necessary...


Caron making that 7-10 split...


Antawn on Swan Lake...


Tough Juice with some bad intentions...

[keynote]

I was about to submit a write-in vote for the fans, for going along with the White-Out promotional (with even Colin Powell rocking the white tee).

But, I'll give it up to DeShawn for finally backing up his words. And, I also recognize that, while DeShawn's trash talk made him Public Enemy #1 in CLE, his words have apparently served to galvanize the DC crowd behind the Wizards as well. I don't think LeBron would've been booed on every possession but for the war of words and escalation of hostilities between the two teams. I think the crowd genuinely *hates* LeBron, with a passion usually reserved for Kwame--and DeShawn is responsible.

So, while it's obvious that DeShawn deserves credit for the crowd's "Overrated" chant, I also give DeShawn credit for the crowd's muted silence when LeBron swooped in for a breakaway dunk. Usually, plays from opposing superstars generate a big time pop; last night, not so much.

I also give DeShawn props for the "icing" of flying Soulja Boy in to juice the crowd during time outs, and planning an afterparty later that night with Soulja Boy (accoding to Wilbon on PTI), to boot. DeShawn was the catalyst for an extremely entertaining Game 3, and he gets my vote.

[LyricalRico]

What about Gil for pulling a Willis Reed and just coming out long enough to get everybody hyped up?

[RickRoll_inDC]

It's hard to pick since this game was a blowout from the start, but I'm giving it to DeShawn. RMJ in a close 2nd though.

[queridiculo]

So tough to pick somebody after the complete game this team played. I said before the game started that Haywood would be the key, and I think he came out giving the team some early scoring and confidence and did a fantastic job defending against Z without getting himself caught in foul trouble.

2nd would probably be Caron Butler followed by Deshawn 3rd.

[Cramer]

I had to give Roger Mason a little love.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Tough Juice for how he picked up the intensity. He was going to the rim with a vengeance.

It is hard not to single out RM, however. He came out confident and aggressive at a time when it was hard to know where our scoring would come from.

Honorable mention to I can't feel my face and BTH.

[nate33]

While Deshawn no doubt had a good game, most of his three's came in the fourth quarter when the game was essentially decided. Yes, they were backbreakers, but I don't really think he was primarily responsible for building the lead.

Butler could have been the easy choice for POTG because of his solid D on Lebron and solid O in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The only problem is that he was terrible in the first quarter.

I think the POTG should go to Roger Mason or Brendan Haywood. Haywood set the tone early on offense with 8 quick points (including some pretty sweet hook shots). Defensively, he owned Z again while also closing down the lane. Mason jumpstarted the offense by finally getting some perimeter shots to go down. Mason's D was solid too.

I'm going to give it to Haywood because he did his work against starters.

1. Haywood
2. Mason
3. Butler

[nate33]

That double-pump one-handed swooping layup by Butler was just sick. He would have jammed that if he didn't get fouled. LOL at West boxing out his teammate Wally Z in the background.

[LyricalRico]

Pesh was AWESOME in garbage time!

[hksazn]

congrats on the win from a raps fan !!!

This should be your entrance theme LMAO

http://my.break.com/Content/view.aspx?ContentID=493174

[TheKingOfVa360]

Stevenson's swagger won that game

[Da HomeTeam]

That double-pump one-handed swooping layup by Butler was just sick. He would have jammed that if he didn't get fouled. LOL at West boxing out his teammate Wally Z in the background.

Nah that's Delonte about to get dunked on under Caron and next to Joe Smith.

[MF23]

Is that Bruce Pearl in the Jamison pic?

[bulletproof_32]

Is that Bruce Pearl in the Jamison pic?

Yup. They showed him on the jumbotron during the game. Not sure why he was there though.

[nate33]

-= original quote snipped =-



Nah that's Delonte about to get dunked on under Caron and next to Joe Smith.

Who is that light-skinned guy next to Wally then? Is it Dwayne Jones? Was that scrub in the game during the Butler dunk?

[queridiculo]

Stevenson's swagger won that game

I think this is a case of Stevenson getting too much credit. Stevenson's play last night was a feel good story no doubt, but let's be real here. The game was pretty much a wrap when he started doing damage from the outside.

Butler had a far greater impact on the game than Stevenson. From guarding James to eating the Cavs interior alive. He really got it going, and his break away dunk sealed the game.

My vote still goes to Brendan, but out of the three players mentioned Stevenson should be coming in third.

Edit: Going back to keynote's post, my eyes are now opened. D Steezy for PoTG.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

Was that scrub in the game during the Butler dunk?

Yes, because as Marty Burns put it, to say the Cavs played dead would be an insult to corpses everywhere.

Wizstorm, nice job on the pics too!

It was nice to see DS shake off the rust and avoid the revamping of "DeBrick" as his nickname, but most of his came late, well after RMase and Blatche did an awesome job off the bench in the 1st half to help us to our lead. I'd have to go with Ma$e.

[queridiculo]

What's encouraging about Stevensons game is the confidence boost it will give him.

Going back to last years series he really struggled to find his shot. He's been attrocious over the past 6 playoff games and to go out there and find his stroke the way he did yesterday should finally put those dark times to rest.