Wizards Outshine Magic
After a blowout win on Monday night in Charlotte. the Wizards returned home and took care of the Orlando Magic, 93-85, for their second win in as many nights.
The Wizards trailed by double digits in the first quarter, but held the Magic to just 12 second quarter points and rallied to tie the score at 41 heading into the half.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair as both teams were trading hoops on each end. But, when it came down to crunch time in the fourth quarter, it was the Wizards who were able to make all the big plays and the big stops which propelled them to this victory.
Kevin Seraphin was a dominant force in the paint and led the Wizards with a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Jordan Crawford continued his hot scoring streak and added 21 points, including the dagger three-pointer to put the Wizards up eight with 1:21 left in the game.
John Wall added 15, while Cartier Martin and James Singleton each had 12 off the bench.
Next, the Wizards have two days off before heading down to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks at MSG.
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Highlights
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Postgame
WIZARDS GUARD JOHN WALL:
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On the comeback:
“We did a great job playing perimeter defense. With Dwight (Howard) out we knew they were going to live and die on the three point line. We did a good job playing hard. We kept fighting and we had a lot of guys come off the bench and step up and have a good game.”
On Kevin Seraphin:
“We knew he could play and that it was just going to take some time for him to mature. He has a nice shot. He gets great post position and he is doing a great job stepping in for Nene, playing well and making plays.”
On Cartier Martin and James Singleton:
“We knew Cartier could make shots and rebound. He comes off the bench and could make shots and defend well. James is a guy that does all the dirty work and can make a jump shot.”
WIZARDS GUARD JORDAN CRAWFORD:
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On tonight’s performance:
“I was just taking what the defense gave me in both halves. In the first half, they were leaving the little man open and I was taking it. I was just being aggressive all around and didn’t want the defense to key in on one thing.”
On moving forward:
“As long as the players keep their confidence, we can do a lot of things. The difference tonight was confidence and getting important stops.”
On the players coming in with 10-day contracts:
“They came in huge for us. They were leaving James (Singleton) open and he was knocking down shots and getting rebounds the past couple games. They’ve been big.”
WIZARDS CENTER KEVIN SERAPHIN:
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On the comeback:
“When we were down 13 points, I just tried to come back and play hard. We needed to win.”
On defending Glen Davis:
“It was tough because he’s good and knows how to play the pick and roll. We just tried to keep up our defense and keep playing hard.”
On the block on Davis’ dunk:
“I was ready. When I saw him go to the basket I was blocking him in the first half, so I was ready for him this time.”
WIZARDS HEAD COACH RANDY WITTMAN:
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On tonight’s game:
“That was, from start to finish, a really good win tonight. I think coming back after the performance we had last night, it was critical to back it up. This afternoon a couple of guys said, ‘we’ve got to play with the same confidence we played with last night’, and that showed tonight.”
On players coming off the bench:
“They’ve been great. They’ve been huge for us. James (Singleton) has come in and really solidified things. With as banged up as we are, we’re limited big-wise and he’s come in and really done a nice job, and Cartier (Martin) too. The two of them, to come off the bench and both score 12 is huge, and they have been doing that the last couple games. They have been a big boost to us.”
On Kevin Seraphin:
“He was big tonight. He is playing with confidence and he’s growing every night. I told him I’m going to stay on him. I don’t want him to get satisfied with where he is at. I think he has a lot of room to still improve and I want him to stay hungry.”
On the Magic missing Dwight Howard:
“With him (Dwight Howard) out, that was one of the directives to our guys. They don’t have a shot-blocker back there protecting the rim. Don’t settle for jump shots if we can get to the rim and make decisions at the rim, whether finishing ourselves or kicking out for the open guy. I thought we did that. Obviously they missed a huge part of their team tonight, but this was a good win for us.”