<div align="center">@ <font color="sienna">Washington Wizards (36-28)</font> @ <font color="blue">Denver Nuggets (35-30)</font> Time: Sat, Mar. 22, 2005, 09:00 P.M. Eastern Time TV: NBALP Place: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO --- Ballers: <font color="sienna">Brendan Haywood</font> ( C), <font color="sienna">Kwame Brown</font> (PF), <font color="sienna">Jared Jeffries</font> (SF), <font color="sienna">Larry Hughes</font> (SG), <font color="sienna">Gilbert Arenas</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="sienna">Steve Blake</font> Coach: <font color="sienna">Eddie Jordan</font> (second season with Wizards) --- Ballers: <font color="blue">Marcus Camby</font> ( C), <font color="blue">Kenyon Martin</font> (PF), <font color="blue">Carmelo Anthony</font> (SF), <font color="blue">DerMarr Johnson</font> (SG), <font color="blue">Andre Miller</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="blue">Earl Boykins</font> Coach: <font color="blue">George Karl</font> (18-5, first season with Nuggets) <font size="5"><font color="blue">Top</font> <font color="orange">Ballers</font>:</font> <font color="sienna">Gilbert Arenas: 32 pts, 5 rebds, 4 assists.</font> <font color="blue">Carmelo Anthony: 27 pts, 9 rebds, 2 assists.</font> <font size="5">purpleb0n9's <font color="Blue">Team</font> <font color="Orange">Analysis</font>:</font> <font color="sienna">- Washington:</font> The Wizards had a tough 30-day stretch bridging the mid-February and mid-March in which they won only 3 out of 11 games. They appeared to have rebounded from that slump with 2 consecutive blowout wins over the Lakers and Hawks until their key player Kwame Brown went down with a flu in the last 2 games. They lost the first game without Kwame in the lineup at Milwaukee and came back home and struggled over the sputerring Jazz, who had lost 8 straight up to that point, before sneaking a W behind Arenas' two late free throws. Without a doubt, Kwame is one of their most important players, especially with all star Antawn Jamison on the injured list. I think he'll make it back this time (cmon it's just a flu, drink that chicken soup!) since there have been two days of rest between that Jazz game and this one. Running into the Nuggets, who are playing with playoff intensity against any team thesedays, will be a good test for this team and an indication of how well these guys can perform in the postseason. - <font color="blue">D</font><font color="orange">N</font>: Biasness aside, there's no team playing as well as us besides Miami. We compiled 98 assists and shot at least 54% in the last three games. We have been drawing and hitting free throws, our bench has gotta be one of the deepest in the L with 46 ppg in the last 7 games, led by super sub Earl Boykins. The Wizards, on the other hand, present a challenge for us. They are our only 4th opponent with a +.500 record so far in March besides Indiana, San Antonio and Phoenix. When they play their Princetown ball to perfection, they're very capable of blowing out teams and right up there with the elite teams. We have to remember how to hang with a good team like this. <font size="5">purpleb0n9's <font color="Blue">Game</font> <font color="Orange">Prediction</font>:</font> I think we'll have a close game throughout the first half. We'll make a run early in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead, but the Wiz will close the gap entering the fourth. After another close stretch, we'll pull away with our D and outside shooting and end up winning this one, 118-111.</div> <font color="Indigo"><font size="7">Lakers</font></font> <font color="DarkPurple"><font size="7">Lakers</font></font>
