# Game Thread: 11.5.03 Wizards vs. Mavericks



## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

<center>*Washington Wizards (1-2)*
*vs.*
*<font color=#0B479D>Dallas</font> <font color=#258ADD>Mavericks</font> (2-1)*

















11.5.03
7:00 PM on CSN

*Key Matchup: PG*







vs.









*Matchup to Watch: SF*







vs.









*MJG's Prediction*
*WAS* 89-101 *<font color=#0B479D>D</font><font color=#258ADD>A</font><font color=#0B479D>L</font>*</center>
<hr><center>
*WAS* 100-90 *<font color=#0B479D>D</font><font color=#258ADD>A</font><font color=#0B479D>L</font>*

*Player of the Game*








25 points (11-25 FG), 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 38 minutes

*Next Game*
11.7.03
7:00 PM on CSN
*vs.* *Toronto Raptors (2-1)*</center>


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## CP26 (May 8, 2003)

Walker plays SF? I though Jamison was


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

Jamison comes off the bench, Walker starts at the 3. I put it as my matchup to watch because I think both players are going to struggle guarding the other big time. If Hayes can take advantage of that more than Walker (a tough feat, but it's possible), it could really help us out.

This assumes that they have all their players there and healthy -- Dirk twisted his ankle tonight (though he came back to finish the game) and Fortson didn't start. They ran a Nash/Delk/Finley/Walker/Dirk lineup, which would change my SF matchup.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

EJ is gonna spend the next couple of days fussing and cussing so I expect the Wizards to give tremendous effort and steal this game. The Mavs don't have their chemistry down yet and while they score alot of points they don't defend at all. 

I think 2 match-ups will be big here. Kwame and Dirk. Along with Walker and whomever. 

JJ is gonna be huge this game. He has the size and perimeter agility to guard either Walker or Dirk. 

I look for an up tempo game and the Wizards doing a good job with pts in the paint. 

I look for Arenas to have a real big game as well as hughes and kwame. 

The Wizards WIN.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

I too think that JJ will be very key in this game. Assuming that Walker starts at SF, I doubt Hayes will be able to handle him on defense if he goes inside. Jeffries, on the other hand, has enough size to give him a little more trouble.


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## erickboy22 (Jul 17, 2002)

i believe that wizards will play the mavs competitively but they just don't have the firepower to keep up ... The Wiz lose but i see that Arenas, Kwame and Etan will play well ... Arenas b/c i think he'll be looking to get his shot a lil more often and Kwame and Etan will take advantage of the weak-post defense and score some inside points ... Wiz lose  105-97


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## local_sportsfan (Jul 24, 2002)

The Wiz win 98-92. We destroy the Mavs in the paint and on the glass. Etan goes crazy, scoring 19 and grabbing 15 boards. Kwame chips in with 21 and 9.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

I think Etan is going to go wild on the inside, I'm going to predict a career game from him. I think a game of around 20/15, close to what local_sportsfan said, is entirely possible. On the other hand, I think this won't be such a hot game for Kwame. I think he's going to be in foul trouble against this one. He'll probably be guarding either Dirk, Jamison, or Walker whenever he's in there, three tough players to guard. Even if he stays out of foul trouble, staying with those guys on defense is going to take a lot of work, which might slow him down on offense.


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## CP26 (May 8, 2003)

Etan for Most Improved Player!


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

Heh I doubt he gets it, when considering people like Zach Randolph are out there, but if he can keep up this pace then he will easily get some votes.


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## CP26 (May 8, 2003)

Atleast him becoming a canidate would be good:yes:


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## NorthEast Wiz (Jul 16, 2002)

We have a shot at this game since Dallas doesn't have the same chemistry as last year, but I don't expect us to win this game. It will be interesting to see how we look after 3 days off.

Don't know about you guys but I am still pretty excited about this year. It's nice to see a group of young players that want to win and are listening to the coach.


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## erickboy22 (Jul 17, 2002)

Man ... it been a long time since the Wizards' last game ... I'm w/ Northeast ... although the wiz are 1-2, you have to still have to be excited about the team's future ... 2nite i'm looking forward to seeing how the extra time off for the team will be ... hopefully w/ the extra practice time, they can make this game a good one and pull off the upset ... 

did anyone get 2 read the article (LINK) on Arenas??? EJ asking Arenas to look for his shot a little more often ... I hope 2nite is the nite when he goes off ... I remember last year's game when he was w/ Warriors against the Wiz when he had a career high 41 pts ... He was unstoppable that night (inside/outside) ... He gots game and he is going to be a great player 4 the Wiz this season and 4 the rest of the time he is here


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

I disagree about Kwame tonight though. He has had good games against Antoine Walker. He can keep him outta the post and force him into those ugly 3pt shots. 

Kwame needs to be able to guard the Dirksaround the league though. Which I think he can. 

If they give Kwame more than just token shots in the paint he could do serious work.


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## shyFX325 (Jul 28, 2002)

i am going to this game wooooHOOOOOO

gonna get to see dirk put a hurting on my hometown boys... cant wait


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## CP26 (May 8, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>shyFX325</b>!
> i am going to this game wooooHOOOOOO
> 
> gonna get to see dirk put a hurting on my hometown boys... cant wait


You live in Dallas or DC? The game is in DC


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## shyFX325 (Jul 28, 2002)

use your powers of deduction to figure out where i live.... hmmmmmm... thats right, DC

come on dude we went over this already.. i actually live in NoVa


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## CP26 (May 8, 2003)

my fault i forgot


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

I'm with Erick, it seems like it has been forever and a year since we played last -- it's gotten me excited about tonight's game though. I'm obviously not expecting a win in this one, but it wouldn't shock me if we pull it off. If Kwame can get going, him and Etan are going to give the Mavs fits down low. I'm going to predict big games for both of them; I think one of the two is going to be our top player tonight.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

We have 25 points with 2 minutes still left in the first, great offense for us. Arenas is playing off the charts so far -- scoring on jumpers and drives with ease, making great passes, getting fouls on Nash/Best.

It's 30-25 us at the end of the first, and like I said Arenas has been golden. His first quarter stats: 12 points on 6-9 FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

According to our announcers, Nash has a strained right shoulder and isn't expected to return  Good break for us, but I hope he it's not too serious.


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## erickboy22 (Jul 17, 2002)

Watching the game rite now ... its a great one ... Wiz have played w/ intensity ... and are making their 3-pointers ... they have to continue pushing the ball on the Mavs ... Nash is out for the rest of the game so Arenas will have an advantage against whoever is guarding him ... Arenas w/ 17 pts at the half and L. Hughes w/ 14 pts and 4/4 from 3-pt ... BUT the Wizards last year had a HUGE lead last year against the Mavs but ended up losing in OT ... Gotta go for the kill and with stand the eventual Dallas run ... GO WIZ !!!


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

They knocked an early 3rd quarter 23 point lead all the way down to 11 in the earth 4th, but on a Hayes three we just got it back up to 18 with 8:40 left in the game. We're 11/24 from downtown, and it has seemed like even better than that to me. Go Wiz!


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## burnet (May 27, 2003)

arenas triple double.
the guy is on fire.


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

another 13pt game for Jarvis:yes:

where is that Mayland terp f00l who was sayin he's a bust? maybe hiding with his mouth up his ***?


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

Jarvis is playing extremely well for a rookie; I don't think he looks like a first year player at all on the court. His offensive game is already very nice, and he is quite the emphatic shot blocker as well.


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## Aurelino (Jul 25, 2003)

Well done, Wizards :greatjob: 

Beating the Mavs is awesome. Arenas had a big night, I hear as well. Good for the Wiz.


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## CP26 (May 8, 2003)

Just when we all thought the Mavs were gonna take this game, Wizards come up big with the absence of Nash and take full advantage of it! Jarvis is the man!


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

We won this game so I'll take it but in no way am I happy about these developments. We played a fools gold game tonight. Unless we start going inside more with the ball its going to be a long season. I don't have much else to say about this victory other than that Arenas played really well. Like he's supposed to without an injured Nash on the floor.


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## BCH (Jun 25, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>jazzy1</b>!
> We won this game so I'll take it but in no way am I happy about these developments. We played a fools gold game tonight. Unless we start going inside more with the ball its going to be a long season. I don't have much else to say about this victory other than that Arenas played really well. Like he's supposed to without an injured Nash on the floor.


I agree with you that when the situation warrants, we need to go inside. They actually played a lot of zone against us though, which sort of forced us to play outside. That is going to happen, and our guards are going to need to make the other team pay when it happens. 

On that note, I was watching our zone offense tonight, and I liked what I saw. We got a lot in the short corner and at the top of the key on the reverse. The players seem to be much more confident running it as opposed to the nightmare that was last year against the zone.


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## NorthEast Wiz (Jul 16, 2002)

Thanks for the reports everyone. I didn't get a chance to see the game but am not surprised that we won. 

The East looks like it did last year with NJ and Detroit and everyone else.


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## erickboy22 (Jul 17, 2002)

*WOW*

I think this game shows all the Wizards' fans the potential of this team ... I was one the ppl that thought we didn't have a chance vs. the Mavs ... I'm glad that i was wrong ... When u think of team that shoots 13-30 from 3pts ... You would more and likely think it was Dallas w/ all their shooters (Nowitski, Nash, Walker, Jamison) but the Wiz set a team record w/ 13 3pts ... You also had to be impressed w/ the defense intensity that the Wizards came into the game ... The Mavs looked very frustrated w/ the young Wiz team running for all the loose balls, tapping out the rebounds and saving the ball from going out bounds. Even if it was an off-day for the Mavs ... a great team win from the Wiz

Thoughts on Players:

Arenas - Man i think he's my fav player on this team ... He's the piece that was missing for all those terrible teams ... He's a scoring point but he still shows the balance in his game to have a triple double ... I love how the announcers talk about him being a gym rat ... this guy is only 21 years old ... he's only going to get better 

L.Hughes - 5-6 from 3 pt range ... Good gracious that was crazy ... during the game the announcers said he only had 1 before the game and he hits a career high 5 3-pts

Laettner - 13 pts 13 rebs ... BUT the stat of the GAME 5 BLOCKS ... he's a great player and i love the way he fits in EJ's offense

Jarvis - Like i've said about him ... super athletic forward ... i really see him as a hybrid of Allan Houston and Richard Jefferson ... When Stack comes back .... EJ has to get this guy out on the floor ... i just love how he hustles back on defense and just destroys an opponents shot  

Blake/Dixon - The MD connection was in effect 2nite ... great contribution from 2 players that u can tell just kno each other so well ... (did u see those 2 fast breaks in the 1st half? just like College Park)

Kwame - i can't leave this guy out ... BCH and Jazzy both commented on going inside ... but w/ Dallas' zone they collapse in the middle so its really hard to get very much inside ... w/ that saying Kwame did an excellent job passing the ball especially on 2 occasions dishing off to Arenas for scores ... i just want him to get the rebounds and play defense ... the scoring will come ...

GREAT win and hope they can take this momentum vs. Toronto


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## TerpBurp (Sep 27, 2002)

well, wiz fans, don't get too excited. You guys still have no post offense. The wiz won tonight because the guards hit their jump shots. I mean Arenas, Hughes, Hayes and Dixon (if given more minutes) all could have been player of the game. Laettener was good but all his points came from outside. 

Anyways, this was a good win and Arenas looks like a stud.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

Congrats guys! Arenas was great!!!


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