What You Need To Know: Wizards vs. Pistons
The Washington Wizards will host the Detroit Pistons tonight at Verizon Center on Comcast SportsNet and WTEM 980 at 7:00 pm.
"It will be a playoff type match up," said Caron Butler. "Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun (Prince), and now Chris Webber have all been through big games before so they know how to prepare for them. Mentally we have to be ready."
Tonight’s game marks the final of four meetings between the Wizards and Pistons this season. After Detroit claimed the first two meetings this season, Washington scored a victory with a 99-96 decision in Detroit on Friday night.
In that game, a season-high 35 points from Antawn Jamison paced the Wizards, while Caron Butler provided the difference with four free throws in the final 20 seconds. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 27 points, as Washington pulled to within 2-1 in the season series.
"This is an important game," added Antawn Jamison. "If we win tomorrow, the series is tied 2-2 and you never know what’s going to happen down the stretch. If not, they win the season series. We definitely want to tie it up and just continue to play well, especially at home. They are a veteran team – a team that has been there and done that. They are a team that we are trying to become, as far as winning it all, and being contenders year in and year out."
MORE NOTES:
Despite last Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix in Washington’s last home game, the Wizards own a 17-4 record at Verizon Center this season. Washington’s home record is the best in the Eastern Conference, and the Wizards trail only the Dallas Mavericks (20-3) and Phoenix Suns (19-3) for the best home record in the NBA. Also, while the Wizards fell short of matching the 1968-69 Baltimore Bullets’ 18-3 record in the first 21 home games of the season, the 2006-07 Wizards own the second-best 21-game start at home in franchise history.
Washington is 12-2 at home against Eastern Conference opponents this season, and currently owns an eight-game winning streak against Conference rivals at Verizon Center. The last Eastern Conference team to defeat the Wizards in Washington was tonight’s opponent, the Detroit Pistons, via a 115-111 win on November 25th.
Having just won 6 of the last 7 games to stand alone atop the Eastern Conference standings, Washington will play five of its next six games at Verizon Center.
Gilbert Arenas has scored 40+ in a game 26 times in his career, including seven times this season, but never against the Detroit Pistons. Arenas’ high against Detroit came in a 39-point effort last season at Detroit on 11/25/05.
After connecting on a 32-footer at the halftime buzzer on Friday in Detroit, Arenas has now made 13 shots this season with three or less seconds remaining at the end of a quarter, half or game. Nine of those 13 shots have come from 3pt. range.
Entering play tonight at 26-17, Washington currently sits atop the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The last time the Wizards were the Conference’s top seed this late in the season was at the conclusion of the 1978-79 season.
Tonight’s game features the Eastern Conference’s two top-seeded teams. The top-seeded Wizards are currently 26-17, while the second place Pistons enter play tonight just a half-game behind at 25-17. By NBA rule, the coach in each Conference with the best record through games played on February 4th will coach his respective Conference in the All-Star game; with the last year’s All-Star Head Coaches being ineligible. Washington’s Eddie Jordan is currently in line to serve as Eastern Conference Head Coach this season. The Wizards’ franchise has previously had three All-Star coaches: Gene Shue ‘68-69, KC Jones ‘74-75, Dick Motta ‘78-79.
In Washington’s last game...Antawn Jamison’s second consecutive 30+ point game marked the first time since March 25th and 27th of 2006 that Jamison scored at least 30 points in back-to-back games...Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Jamison each scored 20 points in the same game for the 12th time this season; Washington improved to 10-2 in those games...Jamison also recorded a season-high seven assists...Caron Butler notched his team-leading 18th double-double of the season...Roger Mason Jr. played a season-high 18:31...The Wizards earned their fourth-ever season-sweep of the Celtics, and their first since 1996-97...Washington’s 91 points allowed tied a season-low.
