Wizards-Bobcats Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Nov 12 2012 1:41PM

After opening a franchise-worst 0-8 last season, the Washington Wizards find themselves in the midst of another brutal start.

While the Wizards would appear to have a good shot at finally breaking through Tuesday night given their recent success against the Charlotte Bobcats, they could have their hands full with rookie sensation Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Washington tries for a sixth consecutive win over the Bobcats, who are hoping to build on their latest result.

The Wizards stayed close again Saturday but dropped to 0-5 after coming undone in the fourth quarter of an 89-85 loss at Indiana. First-year standout Bradley Beal had 17 points while A.J. Price scored 12 to go along with a career-high 14 assists for Washington, which shot 5 of 16 and was outscored 19-13 over the final 12 minutes.

All of Washington's defeats have come by 10 points or fewer, with three decided by a combined 13.

"We're right there again," coach Randy Wittman said. "Just kind of the little things in games like this.

"We, from a stats standpoint, (didn't) take care of the ball. Twelve turnovers, (five) of them were in the fourth quarter. To win close games you can't have (five) turnovers in the fourth quarter."

Washington is averaging 16.0 turnovers and ranks near the bottom of the league in points per game (88.0) and field-goal percentage (41.4). The Wizards are shooting 36.1 percent in the fourth and have 20 fourth-quarter turnovers in their last four games.

"One of our problems is that we turn the ball over too much," said Beal, averaging 18.3 points over his last three games. "We're hesitant in our movement and our passes and a lot of other things.

"We have the parts we need, it's just putting it all together and having better overall execution."

The Wizards haven't had much trouble executing against the Bobcats of late, outscoring them by an average of 16.4 points during their winning streak.

Charlotte (2-3), though, may not go down as easy this time around.

After dropping three in a row, the Bobcats got back on track with Saturday's 101-97 overtime win over Dallas - their first victory in 17 all-time meetings. Kemba Walker had 26 points and a franchise high-tying eight steals while Kidd-Gilchrist compiled season bests of 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Kidd-Gilchrist, who was drafted one spot ahead of Beal at No. 2 overall, is averaging 14.8 points on 53.8 percent shooting in his last four games.

"I think everybody that has been watching all of our games say that MKG gets a little bit better and then all of a sudden he had what you would call a breakout game," first-year coach Mike Dunlap said.

"I think realistic expectations are that he can do what he is doing on the boards. He is a very good defender. The third part of his game is indescribable. He just does little intangibles, passes the ball in close quarters, gets an extra hand on the ball to keep it alive on the offensive glass."

In addition to Kidd-Gilchrist's growth, more efficient efforts from Walker could prove key for Charlotte. He's averaged 28.0 points on 46.5 percent shooting in the Bobcats' wins and 12.7 on 39.5 percent from the field in their losses.

"He's finding his voice, running things, taking responsibility for our playbook and calling certain things instead of me calling him," Dunlap said. "That is all his development.'

Charlotte hasn't recorded back-to-back victories since winning its final two games in 2010-11.

Sessions scores 21 as Bobcats beat Wizards 92-76

By STEVE REED
Posted Nov 14 2012 12:59AM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap talked throughout the offseason about changing the culture in the organization and building a winning atmosphere in Charlotte.

Apparently his players were listening.

Reserve Ramon Sessions scored 21 points and the Bobcats beat the winless Washington Wizards 92-76 Tuesday night to win back-to-back games for the first time since last December and even their record at 3-3.

"Any time in this league when you can get any type of win streak it is good," Sessions said. "Definitely for a young team like us trying to build things, I think that's a big plus. You know it's one of those games where you sit in the locker room (before the game) and you say, `Hey, we should go out there and get this one," and that's what good teams do. That just shows you the progress that we're making."

Said Dunlap: "That is just the NBA game. Players gain confidence with victories."

With Ben Gordon a late scratch due to a family emergency, Sessions picked up the slack and provided a much-needed boost off the bench for the Bobcats.

Coming off a career-high 25 points against Dallas on Saturday night, rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was strong again, chipping in with 15 points and eight rebounds before leaving in the fourth quarter to ice down a sore back. He said afterward he got hit in the back, but added "I'm fine."

Kemba Walker battled inconsistent shooting and finished with 17 points for the Bobcats.

It marked the first time the Bobcats have won two straight since taking the final game of the 2010-11 season and the first of last season.

The victory was especially sweet for Walker, who went through an entire rookie season without winning back-to-back games.

"You know, to get this win was huge and it gives us momentum, gives us confidence going into that game tomorrow against a good Minnesota team," Walker said.

Trevor Ariza scored 19 points for the Wizards, who fell to 0-6. He was the only Washington player to finish in double digits in scoring.

The Bobcats (3-3) limited the Wizards to 29.8-percent shooting and outscored them 46-24 in the paint.

Most of those came on drives to the hole by Walker, Kidd-Gilchrist and Sessions, who were a combined 15 of 18 from foul line.

"Coach Dunlap emphasized getting to the rim and getting foul shots," Sessions said. "You know we try to do that. At times it may not look like it but that's our game, getting to the rim and shooting threes."

Wizards coach Randy Wittman said his team lacked aggressiveness on defense, particularly in the paint, but attributed that to the team's apathetic play on the offensive end of the floor.

"When you stand around and watch a guy dribble and dribble and dribble and take a bad shot, it takes away that affect (on defense)," Wittman said.

Rookie Bradley Beal said he felt like the Wizards "gave up" down the stretch.

"We can't lose focus and today we weren't focused," said Beal, who was 1 of 11 shooting from the floor. "We came in lackadaisical, like we were 5-0 instead of 0-5. We didn't come in with the edge that we usually do."

Washington, still playing without John Wall and Nene, could never get closer than seven points in the second half after trailing by 13 at halftime. The Wizards connected on just 5 of 31 3-point attempts and had no flow whatsoever on offense.

The Bobcats took a 52-39 lead into halftime after outscoring the Wizards 30-12 in the paint.

Kidd-Gilchrist picked up where he left off Saturday night, driving aggressively to the hole in the early going. The No. 2 pick in the draft had 12 points at halftime on 5-of-8 shooting to go with five rebounds. Sessions had 11 points at the break.

Charlotte's aggressive defense gave the Wizards fits. Washington turned the ball over 17 times, leading to 19 Bobcats points.

Brendan Haywood had a solid eight points and 11 rebounds, while reserve Tyrus Thomas chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds for the Bobcats.

Charlotte won just seven games last season and finished with the worst winning percentage (.106) in league history. But this year's team is playing with hustle and heart and seems to have gained more confidence after beating Dallas on Saturday night to snap a 16-game losing streak against the Mavericks.

NOTES: It took the Bobcats 13 games last season to win three games. Once they won their third game in 2011-12 they went on to lose 16 straight. ... Washington's starters were 15 of 43 shooting from the field.

Notebook: Bobcats 92, Wizards 76

Derek Smith, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:52 PM - Updated Wed Nov 14, 2012 12:16 AM

THE FACTS: Ramon Sessions scored 21 points and Kemba Walker added 17 as the Charlotte Bobcats cruised past the Washington Wizards Tuesday night 92-76 at Time Warner Cable Arena. The loss sends the Wizards to 0-6 on the season and gives the Bobcats their first back-to-back victories since the final two games of the 2010-11 season. Trevor Ariza was the lone Washington player in double figures with 19 points.

QUOTABLE: "We felt like we came out and played the way we should. We're making progress and showing that. We came out and protected our home court. This one was big for our young team. I just went out there and played my game and tried to do what I know how to." -- Charlotte guard Sessions

THE STAT: Washington is averaging 16.2 turnovers and ranks almost at the bottom of the league in points per game (86.0) and field-goal percentage (39.5). The Wizards are shooting 33.3 percent in the fourth and have 28 fourth-quarter turnovers on the season.

TURNING POINT: The Bobcats shutdown Washington in the final three minutes of the first half and took control of the game. Charlotte closed the half on a 12-2 run, which was book-ended by points from Sessions and included four from Byron Mullens. The Wizards were outscored 29-12 for the quarter and never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continues to play well and with energy for the Bobcats. MKG had 15 points and eight rebounds and added two assists and a blocked shot in the win. He is averaging 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in his last three games. Kidd-Gilchrist has been factors

HOT: Walker. The second-year Charlotte guard is averaging 24.3 points on 44.6 percent shooting in victories and 12.7 on 39.5 percent from the field in their losses.

NOT: The Wizards starting back court. Rookie Bradley Beal, the No. 3 pick in the draft, scored just eight points on 1-for-11 shooting and no assists in only 22 minutes of action. A.J. Price didn't fare much better, with six points on 2-for-12 shooting.

ROOKIE WATCH: Jeffrey Taylor had a solid game for Charlotte with six points, six rebounds and four assists to go with a steal and a block.

NOTABLE: Charlotte guard Ben Gordon missed Tuesday's game due to a family emergency. Tyrus Thomas scored in double figures for the second time this season and grabbed a season-high six rebounds. Both Sessions and Walker have scored in double figures in all six Charlotte games this year. The 76 points and 29.8 shooting percentage for Washington were both season lows for a Bobcats opponent. The 19 points from Ariza was a season-high. Jordan Crawford pulled down a season-best nine rebounds. The Wizards swept the Bobcats last season and lead the all-time series 19-14. Washington had its six game winning streak in the series snapped with the loss. Washington has 26 straight seasons with a losing streak of at least 5 games.

UP NEXT: For the Wizards, Wednesday @ Dallas, Saturday vs. Utah and Monday vs. Indiana. For the Bobcats, Wednesday @ Minnesota, Saturday vs. Memphis and Monday vs. Milwaukee.

• Wizards: Nene, Wall
• Bobcats: Henderson, Warrick

• Wizards: --
• Bobcats: Thomas

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #50 Olandis Poole, #31 Scott Wall
• Attendance: 11139
• Duration: 2:11