GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NBA WASHINGTON 92
ATLANTA 85 3:05 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NBA WASHINGTON 100
ATLANTA 88 0:53 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NBA WASHINGTON 101
ATLANTA 90 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 26 25 27 23 101
ATLANTA 23 17 25 25 90 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: WAS - CARON BUTLER 24, ANTAWN JAMISON 23,
GILBERT ARENAS 18
ATL - JOSH SMITH 23, JOE JOHNSON 22, MARVIN
WILLIAMS 20</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NBA
WASHINGTON 101
ATLANTA 90 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">WASHINGTON (101) AT ATLANTA (90)

WASHINGTON

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

G ARENAS G 39:10 5-15 8-12 0 4 4 6 2 3 4 18
D STEVENSON G 24:29 4-6 1-2 0 4 4 3 1 0 1 11
A JAMISON F 41:21 8-18 4-4 5 10 15 2 3 0 0 23
C BUTLER F 42:24 9-20 6-6 2 4 6 8 5 1 3 24
B HAYWOOD C 30:49 6-10 1-1 6 6 12 0 5 0 1 13
D SONGAILA 25:27 4-7 0-0 2 2 4 2 4 0 1 8
A BLATCHE 21:36 1-7 0-0 2 3 5 1 4 0 1 2
A DANIELS 14:26 1-5 0-0 1 2 3 4 1 0 1 2
R MASON JR 0:18 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D MCGUIRE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
N YOUNG DNP - COACH'S DECISION
O PECHEROV DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 38-88 20-25 18 35 53 26 25 4 12 101
(.432) (.800) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 12 (0 PTS)

ATLANTA

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

A LAW G 13:52 0-4 0-0 0 1 1 5 2 1 0 0
J JOHNSON G 41:59 8-24 4-4 4 3 7 5 2 1 0 22
J SMITH F 37:55 6-12 10-15 0 4 4 2 3 1 1 23
M WILLIAMS F 43:27 6-16 8-10 4 8 12 6 2 0 1 20
A HOFORD C 35:05 3-5 3-4 4 6 10 1 4 0 3 9
J CHILDRESS 35:43 5-6 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 10
T LUE 18:53 0-4 2-2 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 2
Z PACHULIA 6:42 1-2 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 0 3 2
S STOUDAMIRE 5:46 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
S WILLIAMS 0:38 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
A JOHNSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S JONES DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 30-77 27-35 12 29 41 21 17 5 11 90
(.390) (.771) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 11 (0 PTS)

WASHINGTON 26 25 27 23 - 101
ATLANTA 23 17 25 25 - 90

BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - A BLATCHE 2, B HAYWOOD. ATLANTA - J SMITH 3,
A HOFORD 2, M WILLIAMS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 5-17 (.294), G ARENAS 0-4, D STEVENSON 2-
3, A JAMISON 3-7, C BUTLER 0-2, A DANIELS 0-1. ATLANTA 3-20 (.150),
A LAW 0-2, J JOHNSON 2-11, J SMITH 1-3, M WILLIAMS 0-1, T LUE 0-2,
S STOUDAMIRE 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: ATLANTA - DELAY OF GAME.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JASON PHILLIPS, TOM WASHINGTON, VIOLET PALMER.
A - 13,172. T - 2:15.</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">WASHINGTON (101)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
G Arenas 39:10 5-15 8-12 0-4 6 2 18
D Stevenson 24:29 4-6 1-2 0-4 3 1 11
A Jamison 41:21 8-18 4-4 5-15 2 3 23
C Butler 42:24 9-20 6-6 2-6 8 5 24
B Haywood 30:49 6-10 1-1 6-12 0 5 13
D Songaila 25:27 4-7 0-0 2-4 2 4 8
A Blatche 21:36 1-7 0-0 2-5 1 4 2
A Daniels 14:26 1-5 0-0 1-3 4 1 2
R Mason Jr 0:18 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
D McGuire DNP - COACH'S DECISION
N Young DNP - COACH'S DECISION
O Pecherov DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 38-88 20-25 18-53 26 25 101
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.432, FT-.800. 3-Point Goals:
5-17, .294 (G Arenas 0-4, D Stevenson 2-3, A
Jamison 3-7, C Butler 0-2, A Daniels 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots:3 (A Blatche
2, B Haywood). Turnovers:12 (G Arenas 4, C
Butler 3, A Daniels, B Haywood, A Blatche, D
Songaila, D Stevenson). Steals: 4 (G Arenas
3, C Butler).


ATLANTA (90)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
A Law 13:52 0-4 0-0 0-1 5 2 0
J Johnson 41:59 8-24 4-4 4-7 5 2 22
J Smith 37:55 6-12 10-15 0-4 2 3 23
M Williams 43:27 6-16 8-10 4-12 6 2 20
A Hoford 35:05 3-5 3-4 4-10 1 4 9
J Childress 35:43 5-6 0-0 0-2 0 1 10
T Lue 18:53 0-4 2-2 0-2 1 1 2
Z Pachulia 6:42 1-2 0-0 0-3 1 2 2
S Stoudamire 5:46 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
S Williams 0:38 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
A Johnson DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S Jones DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 30-77 27-35 12-41 21 17 90
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.390, FT-.771. 3-Point Goals:
3-20, .150 (A Law 0-2, J Johnson 2-11, J
Smith 1-3, M Williams 0-1, T Lue 0-2, S
Stoudamire 0-1). Team Rebounds: 12. Blocked
Shots:6 (J Smith 3, A Hoford 2, M Williams).
Turnovers:11 (Z Pachulia 3, A Hoford 3, T
Lue, J Childress, M Williams, J Smith, S
Williams). Steals: 5 (T Lue, J Johnson, J
Childress, A Law, J Smith).

--------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON 26 25 27 23 - 101
ATLANTA 23 17 25 25 - 90
--------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Atlanta - 1 (Delay Of Game,
0:29 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 13,172. T: 2:15.
Officials: Jason Phillips, Tom Washington,
Violet Palmer.</div>

 

By Phil Foley
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


ATLANTA (Ticker) -- All it took for the Washington Wizards towin their first game was a trip to Philips Arena.


Caron Butler led all five starters in double figures with 22points and Antawn Jamison recorded his fourth double-double ofthe season with 14 and 11 rebounds as the Wizards posted a101-90 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon.

Washington began the season by dropping its first five games andwas facing the prospect of setting a franchise record forfutility to start a season with a loss in this contest.

But luckily for the Wizards, they took on the Hawks, owners ofthe NBA's longest playoff drought - eight years.


Atlanta, which helped Washington snap a six-game losing streaklast season, wasted no time letting the Wizards end theirseason-long drought in this one.


Washington opened the contest by scoring 22 of the first 36points, including 11 from center Brendan Haywood before taking a51-40 advantage at the half on 14 second-quarter points fromButler.


Jamison took control of the game to start the second half,scoring four points in a 9-3 run to start the quarter, includinga jumper to cap the spurt to give the Wizards a 60-43 edge with8:55 remaining in the third quarter.


For one day, the Wizards looked like the club that made theplayoffs last season, sharing the basketball and making shots atwill against the slumbering Hawks' defense.


Washington, which set a season high by dishing out 20 assists,also kept better care of the basketball - turning the ball overa season-low nine times.


Meanwhile, Atlanta showed glimpses of why it hasn't been in theplayoffs since the 1998-99 campaign.


In front of sellout crowds in its first two home games, Atlantadispatched the high-octane Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns -the clubs with the two best records in the NBA last seasonbefore getting blown out by the Boston Celtics on Friday.

But in an all-too-familiar script from last campaign, the Hawkssquandered the momentum from those two home triumphs and openedflat in front of the small home crowd - scoring just four of thegame's first 14 points before trailing by as many as 19 in thethird quarter.


Atlanta attempted to rally, cutting the lead to five on JoshSmith's two free throws with 3:57 remaining. But it was toolittle, too late.


Joe Johnson had 18 points for the Hawks, who lost for the firsttime at home this season.

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">WASHINGTON (101) AT ATLANTA (90)

WASHINGTON

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

G ARENAS G 39:10 5-15 8-12 0 4 4 6 2 3 4 18
D STEVENSON G 24:29 4-6 1-2 0 4 4 3 1 0 1 11
A JAMISON F 41:21 8-18 4-4 5 10 15 2 3 0 0 23
C BUTLER F 42:24 9-20 6-6 2 4 6 8 5 1 3 24
B HAYWOOD C 30:49 6-10 1-1 6 6 12 0 5 0 1 13
D SONGAILA 25:27 4-7 0-0 2 2 4 2 4 0 1 8
A BLATCHE 21:36 1-7 0-0 2 3 5 1 4 0 1 2
A DANIELS 14:26 1-5 0-0 1 2 3 4 1 0 1 2
R MASON JR 0:18 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D MCGUIRE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
N YOUNG DNP - COACH'S DECISION
O PECHEROV DNP - ANKLE INJURY

TOTALS 240:00 38-88 20-25 18 35 53 26 25 4 12 101
(.432) (.800) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 12 (15 PTS)

ATLANTA

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

A LAW G 13:52 0-4 0-0 0 1 1 5 2 1 0 0
J JOHNSON G 41:59 8-24 4-4 4 3 7 5 2 1 0 22
J SMITH F 37:55 6-12 10-15 0 4 4 2 3 1 1 23
M WILLIAMS F 43:27 6-16 8-10 4 8 12 6 2 0 1 20
A HOFORD C 35:05 3-5 3-4 4 6 10 1 4 0 3 9
J CHILDRESS 35:43 5-6 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 10
T LUE 18:53 0-4 2-2 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 2
Z PACHULIA 6:42 1-2 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 0 3 2
S STOUDAMIRE 5:46 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
S WILLIAMS 0:38 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
A JOHNSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S JONES DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 30-77 27-35 12 29 41 21 17 5 11 90
(.390) (.771) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 11 (13 PTS)

WASHINGTON 26 25 27 23 - 101
ATLANTA 23 17 25 25 - 90

BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - A BLATCHE 2, B HAYWOOD. ATLANTA - J SMITH 3,
A HOFORD 2, M WILLIAMS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 5-17 (.294), G ARENAS 0-4, D STEVENSON 2-
3, A JAMISON 3-7, C BUTLER 0-2, A DANIELS 0-1. ATLANTA 3-20 (.150),
A LAW 0-2, J JOHNSON 2-11, J SMITH 1-3, M WILLIAMS 0-1, T LUE 0-2,
S STOUDAMIRE 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: ATLANTA - DELAY OF GAME.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JASON PHILLIPS, TOM WASHINGTON, VIOLET PALMER.
A - 13,172. T - 2:15.</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">WASHINGTON (101)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
G Arenas 39:10 5-15 8-12 0-4 6 2 18
D Stevenson 24:29 4-6 1-2 0-4 3 1 11
A Jamison 41:21 8-18 4-4 5-15 2 3 23
C Butler 42:24 9-20 6-6 2-6 8 5 24
B Haywood 30:49 6-10 1-1 6-12 0 5 13
D Songaila 25:27 4-7 0-0 2-4 2 4 8
A Blatche 21:36 1-7 0-0 2-5 1 4 2
A Daniels 14:26 1-5 0-0 1-3 4 1 2
R Mason Jr 0:18 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
D McGuire DNP - COACH'S DECISION
N Young DNP - COACH'S DECISION
O Pecherov DNP - ANKLE INJURY

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 38-88 20-25 18-53 26 25 101
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.432, FT-.800. 3-Point Goals:
5-17, .294 (G Arenas 0-4, D Stevenson 2-3, A
Jamison 3-7, C Butler 0-2, A Daniels 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots:3 (A Blatche
2, B Haywood). Turnovers:12 (G Arenas 4, C
Butler 3, A Daniels, B Haywood, A Blatche, D
Songaila, D Stevenson). Steals: 4 (G Arenas
3, C Butler).


ATLANTA (90)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
A Law 13:52 0-4 0-0 0-1 5 2 0
J Johnson 41:59 8-24 4-4 4-7 5 2 22
J Smith 37:55 6-12 10-15 0-4 2 3 23
M Williams 43:27 6-16 8-10 4-12 6 2 20
A Hoford 35:05 3-5 3-4 4-10 1 4 9
J Childress 35:43 5-6 0-0 0-2 0 1 10
T Lue 18:53 0-4 2-2 0-2 1 1 2
Z Pachulia 6:42 1-2 0-0 0-3 1 2 2
S Stoudamire 5:46 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
S Williams 0:38 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
A Johnson DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S Jones DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 30-77 27-35 12-41 21 17 90
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.390, FT-.771. 3-Point Goals:
3-20, .150 (A Law 0-2, J Johnson 2-11, J
Smith 1-3, M Williams 0-1, T Lue 0-2, S
Stoudamire 0-1). Team Rebounds: 12. Blocked
Shots:6 (J Smith 3, A Hoford 2, M Williams).
Turnovers:11 (Z Pachulia 3, A Hoford 3, T
Lue, J Childress, M Williams, J Smith, S
Williams). Steals: 5 (T Lue, J Johnson, J
Childress, A Law, J Smith).

--------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON 26 25 27 23 - 101
ATLANTA 23 17 25 25 - 90
--------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Atlanta - 1 (Delay Of Game,
0:29 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 13,172. T: 2:15.
Officials: Jason Phillips, Tom Washington,
Violet Palmer.</div>

 

NBA: WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 26 25 27 23 101
ATLANTA 23 17 25 25 90 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: WAS - CARON BUTLER 24, ANTAWN JAMISON 23,
GILBERT ARENAS 18
ATL - JOSH SMITH 23, JOE JOHNSON 22, MARVIN
WILLIAMS 20

HIGH REBOUND: WAS - ANTAWN JAMISON 15, BRENDAN HAYWOOD 12,
CARON BUTLER 6
ATL - MARVIN WILLIAMS 12, AL HORFORD 10, JOE
JOHNSON 7

HIGH ASSISTS: WAS - CARON BUTLER 8, GILBERT ARENAS 6,
ANTONIO DANIELS 4
ATL - MARVIN WILLIAMS 6, JOE JOHNSON 5, ACIE
LAW 5

ATT: 13,172</div>

 

By Phil Foley
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


ATLANTA (Ticker) -- All it took for the Washington Wizards towin their first game was a trip to Philips Arena.


Caron Butler led all five starters in double figures with 24points and Antawn Jamison recorded his fourth double-double ofthe season with 23 and 15 rebounds as the Wizards posted a101-90 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon.

Washington began the season by dropping its first five games andwas facing the prospect of setting a franchise record forfutility to start a season with a loss in this contest.

But luckily for the Wizards, they took on the Hawks, owners ofthe NBA's longest playoff drought - eight years.


"We knew we needed to win this game," Wizards center BrendanHaywood said. "We didn't want go down 0-6. We knew we had toplay better."


"It felt great to get our first win," Butler added. "It feelslike you got King Kong off your back."


Atlanta, which helped Washington snap a six-game losing streaklast season, wasted no time letting the Wizards end theirseason-long drought in this one.


"Eventually, you have to win one," Wizards guard Gilbert Arenassaid. "You look at the schedule and you have some teams thatyou think you can beat, mentally, you have to prepare for it."

"You had a team that was hungry for a win," Hawks head coachMike Woodson said. "They came in here and played like theyreally wanted to win, and we didn't tonight."


Washington opened the contest by scoring 22 of the first 36points, including 11 from Haywood before taking a 51-40advantage at the half on 14 second-quarter points from Butler.

"It was big to get out to a fast start no matter what team wewere facing," Haywood said. "We couldn't afford to hang ourheads down."


Jamison took control of the game to start the second half,scoring four points in a 9-3 run to start the quarter, includinga jumper to cap the spurt to give the Wizards a 60-43 edge with8:55 remaining in the third quarter.


For one day, the Wizards looked like the club that made theplayoffs last season, sharing the basketball and making shots atwill against the slumbering Hawks' defense.


Washington, which set a season high by dishing out 26 assists,also kept better care of the basketball - turning the ball overa season-low 12 times.


"I thought the difference was us playing with a lot of positiveenergy and sharing the basketball," Wizards coach Eddie Jordansaid. "We never faltered and we played 48 minutes of hardbasketball."


Meanwhile, Atlanta showed glimpses of why it hasn't been in theplayoffs since the 1998-99 campaign.


In front of sellout crowds in its first two home games, Atlantadispatched the high-octane Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns -the clubs with the two best records in the NBA last seasonbefore getting blown out by the Boston Celtics on Friday.

But in an all-too-familiar script from last campaign, the Hawkssquandered the momentum from those two home triumphs and openedflat in front of the small home crowd - scoring just four of thegame's first 14 points before trailing by as many as 19 in thethird quarter.


"We struggled from the perimeter, and especially the 3-pointline," said Atlanta guard Tyronn Lue, whose team was a miserable3-of-20 from the arc. "We were getting open looks, butcouldn't get anything to stay down."


Atlanta attempted to rally, cutting the lead to five on JoshSmith's two free throws with 3:57 remaining. But it was toolittle, too late.


"Even when we cut it to five, we still weren't in the game,based on how we defended and rebounded the ball," Woodson said."Every loose ball, they came up with. We have been scrapping.

"The two games we won, and even in the New Jersey and Detroitgames, we scrapped down to the end. Tonight, we were just toolethargic. We were a step behind everything."


Josh Smith had 23 points and Joe Johnson added 22 for the Hawks,who lost for the first time at home this season.