<font face="Verdana"><div align="center"> Time: 7:00 EST Place: MCI Center TV: CSN, YES, NBALP <font color="Black"><font size="3">Team Records</font></font> <font color="Navy">Washington: 16-13</font> <font color="Red">New Jersey: 11-18</font> <font size="4"><font color="Navy">Wizards Head Coach</font></font> Eddie Jordan <font size="5"><font color="Navy">Wizards Projected Starting Lineup</font></font> <font color="Navy">(Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes, Jared Jeffries, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood) </font> <font color="Red"><font size="4">Nets Head Coach</font></font> <font color="Red">Lawrence Frank</font> <font color="Red"><font size="5">Nets Projected Starting Lineup</font></font> <font color="Red">(Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Nenad Krstic, Jason Collins)</font> Bench Factors (Rodney Buford, Jarvis Hayes) Key Matchup " target="_blank">http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jason_kidd.jpg"></a> Jason Kidd / Gilbert Arenas Kidd Season Stats: 8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, 28.5 mpg Arenas Season Stats: 22.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.2 apg, 39.1 mpg <font color="DimGray"><font size="4"><div align="left">Keys to the Game</div></font></font> Don?t Settle for the Jumper: The Wizards, namely Antawn Jameson , have of late been taking way to many jumpers. Gilbert and Larry go to the whole a decent amount, but we need guys like Jamison and Hayes to penetrate and get some easy buckets. Offensive Rebounds: Thanks mostly to Michael Ruffin the Wizards are the number one team in offensive rebounds in the league. At 420 OR?s this season, that averages to ~14 per game, easily the best in the NBA. The Wizards need to keep this up to get easy buckets, because with Kidd back NJ will be getting some fast break points and easy buckets. Get Arenas the Ball: Arenas really need to penetrate to the bucket in this game, and if he does so effectively, then they should get an easy win The dreaded third quarter: For the past 3 years it seems that the Wizards have preformed lackluster at best in the 3rd quarter. This is just not going to do it. They have to play basketball the whole game and not just the first half and 4th quarter. It seems that they have let many teams comeback in the 3rd quarter and they must play efficiently! <div align="left"><font color="DimGray"><font size="4">Final Thoughts</font></font></div> The Wizards are coming off two losses to teams they should have beaten and a win against the Hawks that was a mediocre performance at best. They need to get out and run the floor early and let Jamison POST UP, let Larry do his thing, and let Gilbert penetrate to the basket. If they do this and play 4 quarters of defense they should come out with the victory. <div align="left">I a predict 103-95 Wizards win.</div></div></font>
This will be an interesting matchup, I hope Haywood will get his deserved touches against this frontline, and Jamison should definately get the ball if they decide to leave Collins on him, but Jefferson will likely guard him with Collins on JJ. Arenas and Hughes will do their thing like always, and pushing the tempo will be important in this game, because though NJ likes to run, they don't have the depth and pieces to run all game long. Pushing the tempo and adding some solid defense to the mix will equate to a win in this game. Wizards 102 - Nets 97
Thanks for doing the preview, I have had an extremely rough and emotionally draining morning. I think Washington can win this game, if this was a month ago..I would say Washington would win this, but now with Carter in town, this game becomes a lot tougher. I think Arenas will be able to take it to Kidd, who I believe, will be too slow to guard Arenas because of his age and injuries. Hughes, I feel, will struggle though. The key for us is going to be with Antawn...will he shoot the ball well or what? I think Washington will pull this one out though, I take them...102-98
No problem in doing the preview. It was my first so I did not know if I was thorough enough or not, but I think it came out okay.
It came out very good for your first..<strike>next time you can add some images or some text effects (color, size, bold, etc...) for more appeal</strike>, but either way it is greatly appreciated. Never mind...they weren't showing up before, but of course after I post this and make myself look like an idiot they show up...uhh, my life sometimes...
Gilbert Arenas was crazy is the 3rd quarter!! He had like 3 steals in less than 2 minutes. Man, he really fired his team and the crowd up, they're up 8 now after being down 9 in the 3rd.
Man they whooped up on these boys. Outscored by 20 in the 4th quarter. CSN p'd me off tho because they changed the channel to NC8 and on NBALP I am blacked out on that channel . CSN is my RSN, so I am blacked out to those games anyway, but last season when games were on NC8 or WB50 I was not blacked out on LP, but at least I am still not blacked out on WB50. So I didnt see the game, but I checked the website and wow. We needed a win like this to restore some confidence IMO. Jamison had another off night 5-12 and only 13 pts. But Larry kept his hot streak going and gilbert had 20 as well. Now we finally get a nationally televised game, a game that I can't wait to see cuz i have TNT-HD. My only Wiz game in HD this year...yah. Too bad we'll probable loose
Man, Gilbert Arenas played massive defense in the second half. The Wiz made a franchise high 14 3 pointers and they closed out the game on an 18-0 run.
Whoever said Hughes was gonna struggle...man he proved you wrong! 33 points and 7 Assists Its good to see Washington finally getting somewhere after all these years of rebuilding!
a franchise record 13 three's in this game was purely ridicoulous for the wiz. My nets just got plained stomped this go round. i bleive there has been something in the ai for these past weeks trhough. Amare 50+, K.G. 47, Wiz franchise record 13 three's, Spurs franchise record 15 threes. But in my nets defense the wiz did not beat the nets record for allowing threes, which was 18 perfomed by the suns back in the day.
