<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> January 26, 2007 - 7:00 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on ESPN</span></div> <span style="color:#3333FF">Washington Wizards</span> <span style="color:#996633">(24-17)</span><span style="color:#996633">PG</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Gilbert Arenas</span> <span style="color:#996633">SG</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">DeShawn Stevenson</span> <span style="color:#996633">SF</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Caron Butler</span> <span style="color:#996633">PF</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Antawn Jamison</span> <span style="color:#996633">C</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Brendan Haywood</span> <span style="color:#996633">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Antonio Daniels, Etan Thomas, Jarvis Hayes, Andray Blatche, Donnell Taylor</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Detroit Pistons</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">(24-16)</span><span style="color:#FF0000">PG</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Chauncey Billups</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">SG</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Rip Hamilton</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">SF</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Tayshaun Prince</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">PF</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Rasheed Wallace</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">C</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Chris Webber</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Antonio McDyess, Carlos Delfino, Lindsey Hunter, Dale Davis, Flip Murray, Jason Maxiell</span> Injury Report<span style="color:#996633">WAS:</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Darius Songala will not play (recovering from back surgery)</span><span style="color:#996633">WAS:</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Michael Ruffin will not play (sprained right foot)</span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#3333FF">Gilbert Arenas</span><span style="color:#996633">Season Stats: 29.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.0 spg</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Caron Butler</span><span style="color:#996633">Season Stats: 21.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.1 spg</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Antawn Jamison</span><span style="color:#996633">Season Stats: 18.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.8 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Chauncey Billups</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 17.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.9 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Rip Hamilton</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 22.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.7 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Rasheed Wallace</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 12.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Tayshaun Prince</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 15.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.1 apg</span> Rookie Watch <span style="color:#996633">WAS:</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">James Lang</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 48 (2003)</span><span style="color:#996633">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">DET:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Will Blalock</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 60</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">1.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.3 apg</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">Washington's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#3333FF">DeShawn Stevenson</span><span style="color:#996633">Season Stats: 9.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.6 apg</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Stevenson will spend time chasing Rip tonight. Now, Stevenson is a pretty good defender, but Rip isn't exactly your average assignment. We'll see how he can handle him.</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Detroit's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Chris Webber</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 11.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.3 apg</span><span style="color:#FF0000">As A Piston: 12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Webber needs to play tough on the glass tonight. With Haywood and Etan Thomas as the competition, he'll have his work cut out for him down there. I'd also love to see him continue his high shooting percentage as a Piston (which, I don't expect to really last all that long).</span> <div align="center">Key Matchup vs. <span style="color:#3333FF">Gilbert Arenas</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Chauncey Billups</span></div><span style="color:#000000">Both are different players, and they most certainly have different personalities lol, but both are top guards in the NBA. Arenas is the all-out scorer, he's fearless, he has the swagger, he's clutch, and when he's feeling it he's virtually unstoppable. Billups is more of a leader and floor general, and a very good defender, so we'll see how these two handle each other.</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/NotesI won't be able to watch any of this game, really. I'll flip over to it when I can, but the C's are playing at 7:00 too. Ugh. CelticBalla's PredictionI think Detroit will take it. They have won 3 in a row and they have the momentum on their side, being the home team.
I expect another excellent game from Webber. Nazr and Flip won't get any PT again, and Arenas gets held to under 25. Rasheed will use his size over Jamison and take it into the post more often tonight.
Arenas has momentum from the all-star voting and wants to take Detroit out on their home floor. Wizards win in a game that comes down to the last shot.
Well, things are looking good for my predictions so far.Webber with a nice all around start, Sheed with 9/4, and Arenas with only 3. Maybe I should be an NBA analyst.
HAHAHAH The captain, Gilbert now has 13, with a deep three at the end of the second half, he beat the buzzer AGAIN. 46-48 Pistons, When the Wizards get hot for stretches Detroit has no answer, we gotta run our offense fast if we do that we can win.
Nice way to end the half, Hibachi. We shouldn't be in this game, though. Caron isn't getting it done against a much skinnier SF in Tayshaun Prince. Enough with the 3,000 pump fakes from just inside the perimeter, post up against Prince. I'm liking the bench production so far, and how our bench is just matching with Detroit's. Daniels, Thomas, and Hayes have all been pretty productive. Jamison is on fire, something us Wizards fans rarely see. Hopefully he'll have a game like he did against Orlando last week. The keys so far to winning this game would be: - Limiting Rasheed to just shooting jumpers from the arc. (I'd put Haywood on him when he's posting up)- Keep Billups quiet for the rest of the game. - Move the ball around. (I saw a lot of one-on-one ball in the 1st half, something the Wizards are hardly getting points from)- Finish on the fast break, get points off turnovers, etc. Oh yeah, and keep up the bench scoring!We can win this game, but we should not melt down in the 2nd half like we did last time when we played at Detroit on ESPN. Go Wizards!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Captain @ Jan 26 2007, 05:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I expect another excellent game from Webber. Nazr and Flip won't get any PT again, and Arenas gets held to under 25. Rasheed will use his size over Jamison and take it into the post more often tonight.</div>Just letting you know that nearly all of your predictions were wrong, you'd be a terrible analyst.Wizards win 99-96, really a defining game for the Eastern Conference, it's gonna be a battle to win it.
Down one, and you shoot a three.Take it inside dangit.Nice game anyway. What?Well, I was one point off for the Arenas prediction. Rasheed posted up more than usual, and Webber had an all-around game. Nazr and Flip didn't play. Whadya mean all of mine we off?
Wow. What a win! This game really shows that the Wizards are not a team to mess with. :brucelee: What a game for 'Tawn, his play tonight really reminded myself of that huge game he had against Orlando. He did not just have a good game, he had a GREAT game, and he was definitely clutch, as well. Gil had a great all-around game, finishing with 25 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. I thought that the Pistons did a good job defensively with Gil on offense, and they forced him to swing it tonight, but it definitely benefited his teamates (Jamison). Butler was really quiet from start to finish, but the main stat that anyone can tell by watching this game is that he really was hittin' those free throws when he needed to. Haywood and Daniels both had good statlines, respectively. Haywood went 6-6 from the FT line, a bit suprsing but very satisfying. Almost got a double-double, 10 points and 9 rebounds. Daniels did well at attacking the rim and hitting his jumpers, but he finished with 4 TOs, which was very schocking to me considering it's coming from a veteran like him who rarely turns the ball over.Overall, great win. Let's beat the sh*t out of the Celtics on Sunday.
