vs. Teams: <span style="color:#0000FF">Washington Wizards 24-16</span> vs. <span style="color:#FF8C00">Phoenix Suns 31-8</span>Date: January 23rd, 2007TV: CSN, NBATVTime: 7.00 PM EST<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman">Washington Wizards Starting Lineup</span></span>PG Gilbert Arenas Stats: 29.7 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.5 rpgSG DeShawn Stevenson Stats: 9.7 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.5 rpgSF Caron Butler Stats: 21 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.1 apgPF Antawn Jamison Stats: 19.2 ppg, 8.3 rpgC Brendan Haywood Stats: 6.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman">Key Player off the Bench for Washington</span></span>Antonio Daniels Stats: 6.8 ppg, 2.8 apgAD stepped up big against the Celtics in the final minutes of the game, and in overtime, finishing with 12 points and 5 assists. The Wizards are facing a Suns team that had 3 main guys that you have to worry about (Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire), and their bench that consists of one guy that can provide a spark easily: Leandro Barbosa. Barbosa has a good chance to win Sixth Man of the Year this year for the Suns. Daniels needs to step up and show that their bench can provide good production in limited minutes. <span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman">Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup</span></span>PG Steve Nash Stats: 19.4 ppg, 11.5 apg, 3.2 rpgSG Raja Bell Stats: 15.1 ppg, 3.3 rpgSF Boris Diaw Stats: 10.2 ppg, 5.3 apg, 4.7 rpgPF Shawn Marion Stats: 18.8 ppg, 9.7 rpgC Amare Stoudemire Stats: 18.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman">Key Player off the Bench for Phoenix</span></span>Leandro Barbosa Stats: 16.5 ppg, 4.2 apgBarbosa is a great energy player to have coming off the bench and is known for his speed. His nickname is the "Brazilian Blur", so the Wizards can not let him get easy buckets inside. They need to seal off the baseline if he's driving, and they need to stick with him through tough screens in man-to-man defense. <span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman">Injury Report</span></span><span style="color:#0000FF">WAS</span> Darius Songaila (Recovering from hip surgery)<span style="color:#0000FF">WAS</span> Michael Ruffin (Out with sprained foot)<span style="color:#FF8C00">PHX</span> Kurt Thomas (Out with a partially torn ligament in his left elbow)<span style="font-family:Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">Predictions</span></span>This is going to be an extremely fun game. The Suns are looking to get some revenge from what the Wizards did to them on their home court in December, snapping their 15 game winning streak. Gil dropped 54 on them, and Nash countered with 42. Gil is also going to be pumped for this one again, having promised the entire NBA that he will drop 100 points on D'Antoni's and McMillan's teams, Pheonix and Portland after what happend in the 2006 FIFA World Championships. I will be attending this game with my school's basketball team. Gil 48 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds Caron 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assistsAntawn 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assistsNash 37 points, 14 assists, 4 reboundsMarion 29 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assistsStoudemire 20 points, 15 reboundsWiz win 128-124, ending Phoenix's 12 game winning streak, and continuing their home streak of 10 straight home wins.
Nice preview, Wizards bench needs to come up big this game if they want to win it. The pace will be going very fast and we could be going well into 130+ territory, and D'antoni/the suns are looking for revenge. Btw, isn't marion playing SF and Diaw PF? Also it's Fiba not Fifa.
Haha, my bad about the FIFA/FIBA confusion, and no, I went to a Suns message board they apparently had Diaw at SF.
I don't see Wizards winning today. I don't think anymore on the team can stop Amare Stoudimire. But I don't see Nash stopping Gilbert. I'm seeing Bell sticking Gil Gil all day.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Madness @ Jan 21 2007, 05:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't see Wizards winning today. I don't think anymore on the team can stop Amare Stoudimire. But I don't see Nash stopping Gilbert. I'm seeing Bell sticking Gil Gil all day.</div>First of all, the game is on Tuesday. Amare is pretty tough to guard, correct, but Haywood does a good job against the top tier of big men in the NBA. If Bell couldn't stick Gil on PHX's home court when Gil had 54, what makes you think he'll stick him on Gil's home court? Gil's numbers are much better when he plays at home (as is for almost any NBA player), so I don't really think Bell will do much to affect Gil's scoring. Bell wasn't much of a factor last game, either.
Ohhh, Wizards have a chance to end another winning streak on Tuesday! I don't see it happening though because the Suns are just a better team. They'll get their revenge.
