# Game Thread: 4.1.05 Wizards @ Magic



## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

<center><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td>







</td><td width=20><center>@</center></td><td>







</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3></td></tr><tr><td colspan=3></td></tr><tr><td><center>40 - 30</center></td><td width=20></td><td><center>34 - 37</center></td></tr></table>

7:00 PM on CSN

Orlando leads season series 2 - 1


<table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td>







</td><td><center>- Key Match: PG -<br><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font><br><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></center><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td width=34><p align="right">25.6</p></td><td width=50><center>*PPG*</center></td><td width=34>21.4</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></td></tr><tr><td width=34><p align="right">4.6</p></td><td width=50><center>*RPG*</center></td><td width=34>5.9</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></td></tr><tr><td width=34><p align="right">5.2</p></td><td width=50><center>*APG*</center></td><td width=34>7.0</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></td></tr><tr><td width=34><p align="right">1.9</p></td><td width=50><center>*SPG*</center></td><td width=34>1.2</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></td></tr><tr><td width=34><p align="right">0.2</p></td><td width=50><center>*BPG*</center></td><td width=34>0.4</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></td></tr><tr><td width=34><p align="right">41.0</p></td><td width=50><center>*MPG*</center></td><td width=34>31.7</td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><font color=#DFDFDF>|</font></td></tr></table></td><td>







</td></tr></table></center>


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## One on One (Dec 12, 2004)

Where's hobojoe? I wanna see his signature 

Wizards win a close one...Orlando is fighting for their playoff lives, but we are motivated to hang onto the 4 spot.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

This is a game we're gonna need to have energy and come out and be physical and take it to them. The last 2 times we played them they killed us on the glass. We didn't have Kwame to battle Howard. This time we do and it'll make a difference. Howard and Kwame I think is gonna be a key match-up. If Kwame does to him what he did to Okafor then we win easily. If Kwame gets in foul trouble or is not into it we could have problems. Francis always gets up for us so having Hughes back to play him is huge. We've got to limit how much Francis gets their crowd going. 

Garrity is always a thorn in our side so we have to contain him at the 3 pt line. 

We could have trouble if 2 things happen. The Magic use a line-up in which they move Howard to cneter and Garrity to pf thus tempting EJ into playing JJ on Garrity and Etan on Howard. Howard is gonna eat Etan's slow lateral movement alive this forces Kwame off the floor sometimes in EJ's mind. 

Kwame should play Howard at all times and if they go Garrity at 4 let JJ play it and pull Etan from the game. 

I think Hughes and Arenas will do damage and control this game if they move the ball enough early to allow others a time to get in the flow.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

This one just kind of feels like a loss to me. While we don't want to lose the season series to Orlando, in the big picture it just seems like a much bigger and more important game on their side. They need every game they can get, while we're only two or three wins from clinching ourselves into the playoffs (not literally, but more or less). Factor in that we're on the road, and I think they edge us out in a close one.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

MJG said:


> This one just kind of feels like a loss to me. While we don't want to lose the season series to Orlando, in the big picture it just seems like a much bigger and more important game on their side. They need every game they can get, while we're only two or three wins from clinching ourselves into the playoffs (not literally, but more or less). Factor in that we're on the road, and I think they edge us out in a close one.


Yeah I get that vibe myself. We always seems to get out energized against them for some reason if thats a phrase, Francis always brings that little umph. 

BUT I think Hughes and Kwame match-up wise defensively are gonna make a difference in this one. 

We can't let up now we gotta get these wins the urgency has to be there. We got teams breathing down our necks and we need that 4 spot badly. 

Question MJG if we get the 4th seed and we win that series aren't we in line to face the Heat in rd 2.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

jazzy1 said:


> Question MJG if we get the 4th seed and we win that series aren't we in line to face the Heat in rd 2.


Yes we will indeed face Miami in the second round if we win our series as either the 4th or 5th seed. Frankly, I'd be happy just taking a game from them with the way things went this season.


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## One on One (Dec 12, 2004)

We're going to have to face the Heat 2nd round, but that doesn't mean we should be any less motivated to get the 4th seed. I think we are motivated to hang onto homecourt and with the Bulls right behind us, we get a win. EJ is going to tell the players to treat this like a playoff game since the Magic are going to come out intense.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

There's certainly no room for half-stepping for the Wizards tonight. This is a big game. The Bulls are a half game back of the Wizards, and if they drop this, they're tied. They need to try and keep at least a game between them. 

This will likely be a close game, so it will come down to who can get it done in the clutch. The smart Money would be on the Wizards, and the backcourt.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

When did we become a mentally tough basketball team. We're leading right now simply because we seem to want it more. Gotta keep the pressure on the Magic. We're up 12 early. Everyone is giving us alittle something.


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## One on One (Dec 12, 2004)

Kwame really seems to be developing............into a Michael Doleac type player


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Kwame's playing okay. He just can't work his post moves because he cant get the lift. But he's keeping Howard under wraps. Other than Elton Brand we really haven't gotten blown up for a big game since kwame's gotten back by a big guy. And that game everyone played bad. 

We are a good team thats really being slept on. There's more talk about the teams behind us than about us. We're getting no respect but no one can take the 4th spot from us. 

We don't get killed by other teams bigs, we outscore the other teams guards, and we copme at you all game. 

And now we're spanking the Magic so far ,gotta win this game.


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## twinz2gether (May 24, 2003)

Come to us PJ Ramos, lets see you play!


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## twinz2gether (May 24, 2003)

I thought taking 4 steps was a travel?? oh yeah, and when has sliding on the floor 10 feet not been a travel also?

I know this is the NBA but COME ON!


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Man we're collapsing with some help from the refs and the turnovers. Why are we shooting so quickly. We're panicking out there. Gilbert is turning it over at a ridculous rate. Lead is down to 7. We gotta regoup and I pray that Larry isn't hurt seriously. 

This ****ing curse is unbelieveable. 

My goodness.


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## afireinside (Jan 8, 2004)

Larrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!!!!


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Glibert heart don't pump Kool-aid suckas. 

man got a heart of steel. Gilbert for 3. Money. Now thats what I'm talking about.


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## adarsh1 (May 28, 2003)

what's up with larry?


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

I would have never believed we would have collapsed like that. We just turned the ball over and over. I didnt expect with the ay Larry and Gilbert handle the ball we would have gotten rattled. 

I guess it happens sometimes. 

Gave Howard a whole lotta cheap baskets on steals and in transition. 

Was a blow-out game turned barn burner late. 

I guess these kinda games build character. 

Best sight I've seen in a long time was when Larry came back in the game hopefully nothing swells overnight or no mystery fractures are discovered.


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## byrondarnell66 (Jul 18, 2004)

adarsh1 said:


> what's up with larry?


they said a strained elbow but he came back in the game. hope hes ok just glad we held off that 4thqtr surge by Orlando. we got real sloppy at the end. Gilberts is money Bank It!!!


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## byrondarnell66 (Jul 18, 2004)

jazzy1 said:


> Best sight I've seen in a long time was when Larry came back in the game hopefully nothing swells overnight or no mystery fractures are discovered.


ill second this big time.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Man we're winning and not really playing all that well. I guess that means you're good. We are holding onto that 4th spot like a dog on a bone. The Bulls I'd imagine are gonna lose sometime in the next month. They're breathing down our necks. The Cavs are done at this point. 

Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that we would be the 3rd best team in the Eastern conference. And if the Pistons stub their toe we could conceiveably not likely though get that 2nd spot we're 4 games out basically.


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## adarsh1 (May 28, 2003)

Champions Baby!!!!!!!!


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Waiting to hear from Shanghai. Where you at. We argue from time to time but he's my dog. We both love the Wizards. MJG the other dog your thoughts man.

I like the no lay-ups attitude we had by hard fouling tonight. Francis gets mad at Kwame and then Francis hard fouls JJ and JJ gets mad. 

I don't think I've ever seen JJ mad. I actually liked it.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

Good game. This game came down to the benches and the Wizards won (26 to 15).


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## Shanghai Kid (Mar 7, 2003)

jazzy1 said:


> Waiting to hear from Shanghai. Where you at. We argue from time to time but he's my dog. We both love the Wizards. MJG the other dog your thoughts man.
> 
> I like the no lay-ups attitude we had by hard fouling tonight. Francis gets mad at Kwame and then Francis hard fouls JJ and JJ gets mad.
> 
> I don't think I've ever seen JJ mad. I actually liked it.


I'm feeing good man, the Magic are the team fighting for the playoffs but we came out there just wanting it more, we had the hunger of a team fighting for the playoffs. We still take quick shots and turn the ball over stupidly, but theirs like a new focus and maturity to the team. Magic had some crazy full court pressure that throttled us at the end, but we calmed down and pulled it out which is what great teams do.

I was worried for just about a split second, but Arenas really put the dagger in them with the 3. The kid is a beast, he's been putting games away all year. He has to control his turnovers but you have to be impressed with the other team making a furious run, the crowd into it big time and he just calmly buries a 3 in a guys face. Through injuries and more injures, Arenas continues to bring home the wins. I can't imagine more than a few other guys in the league who provide as much for their team than Arenas does here, he's been a top 10-15 player this year IMO. 

If Hughes had broken his wrist or something our season would be over. It went from a good night, to a bad night, to a good night again when he came back out on the floor.

Etan, I don't know what to say, he's been impressive as a starter. The defense isn't the same without Wood, but Etan really is a better offensive threat. He's just been DUNKING on people lately. I really hate to say it but Etan looks like a 15 and 8 type of Center, all that extra production he's giving us is really making us tougher to guard.

Kwame, decent night, it's true though he doesn't lift on his shot right now. He was taking some hard fouls which was good and he hits the jumper when it's there. Dwight Howard is better, but anything Kwame gives us is just a bonus, when he has good nights it really puts us over the top.

The rest.....Blake is still an NBDL player, hope he isn't in the playoff rotation. Dixon is solid off the bench, Jeffries makes stupid plays, he'll be a nice roleplayer eventually but can't really defend the guy at the moment. Francis hard fouls him and he responds by missing 2 fts, kind of a loser there. DAMONE Brown, he's been a solid pick up, he gives you whatever Hayes would of given you and he doesn't take stupid fadeaways like Jarvis.

We've won 8 out of our last 11. Considering all the preseason talks it feels good to maybe put the dagger in the Magics playoff hopes. But I'm feeling a good finish for us. If we keep this focus up than I'm feeling a really hot stretch coming up with 7 of our next 9 at home. Chicago is surging, we just gotta keep winning until we play them at MCI.


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## adarsh1 (May 28, 2003)

can we have a vbookie on when chicago loses...it seems like they haven't lost in ages.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

Shanghai Kid said:


> Considering all the preseason talks it feels good to maybe put the dagger in the Magics playoff hopes.


Injuries and crappy coaching put the dagger in the Magic a long time ago.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Shanghai Kid said:


> I'm feeing good man, the Magic are the team fighting for the playoffs but we came out there just wanting it more, we had the hunger of a team fighting for the playoffs. We still take quick shots and turn the ball over stupidly, but theirs like a new focus and maturity to the team. Magic had some crazy full court pressure that throttled us at the end, but we calmed down and pulled it out which is what great teams do.
> 
> I was worried for just about a split second, but Arenas really put the dagger in them with the 3. The kid is a beast, he's been putting games away all year. He has to control his turnovers but you have to be impressed with the other team making a furious run, the crowd into it big time and he just calmly buries a 3 in a guys face. Through injuries and more injures, Arenas continues to bring home the wins. I can't imagine more than a few other guys in the league who provide as much for their team than Arenas does here, he's been a top 10-15 player this year IMO.
> 
> ...



Arenas plays with just great resolve especially late in games he's very tough. 

Kwame just looks bad right now. He just physcially isn't right. He again stopped Howard 1on1 but Howard is just alot more active. Kwame just isn't real active all the time. I still think Kwame is gonna be good if he could just get himself physcially back to last season when he was killing folks in alot of games. Howard has no offense he just goes to the boards and explodes over people. Which is all a team needs sometimes. I think Kwame can still be better but we'll see. 

I don't think the season would have been over without Larry but it would have made things tough. This team seems to be able to overcome the loss of anyone Except Arenas. 

if Gilbert goes down then I'd call it over anyone else we can regroup and reload. 

Etan has just been very confident. Haven't seen him this confident in a long while. He's dunking everything right now and just being very aggressive. Thats the difference between he and Haywood its the aggressive level. He never hesistates he just attacks. 

We're gonna need kwame's rebounding , size and strength in the playoffs. He has to crank up his aggressiveness. He shows flashes he just doesn't sustain it. I still think he can be special, he's gutting out a very tough injury and not complaining or using it as an excuse which is a credit to him. 

He does deserve credit for that. 

At this point I don't know how Jamison is gonna fit back in this mix. Hughes and Arenas take so many shots which seem to allow them to find a rhythm in a game. They give Kwame and Etan some chances not as many but some and I think its possible that Jamison's game may conflict with what they've gotten going. I think the so called Big 3's days might be behind them. 

Jamison's offense can always be used but I don't think its really needed and his weak defense is definitely not missed. I think EJ has to be careful not to lean to much on Jamison when he comes back. if kwame can step his agressiveness up and Etan can continue doing his thing Arenas and Hughes might have control of the rest of it. 

Chemistry has changed now and for the better I think.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

jazzy1 said:


> Howard has no offense


 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


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## Shanghai Kid (Mar 7, 2003)

jazzy1 said:


> Arenas plays with just great resolve especially late in games he's very tough.
> 
> Kwame just looks bad right now. He just physcially isn't right. He again stopped Howard 1on1 but Howard is just alot more active. Kwame just isn't real active all the time. I still think Kwame is gonna be good if he could just get himself physcially back to last season when he was killing folks in alot of games. Howard has no offense he just goes to the boards and explodes over people. Which is all a team needs sometimes. I think Kwame can still be better but we'll see.
> 
> ...



We've adjusted to playing without Jamison for sure. The truth is if you take any decent starting SF and put him out there with Arenas and Hughes than this was going to be a winning team. Even take a guy like Hedo Turkalu or Shane Battier, and this team would be fine. Last year we didn't have any starting SF since Stack was gone the whole season basically. Jamison may have been a bad trade, your stuck with a guy with a huge contract who does nothing but score garbage type baskets. You put a good defender at SF who can give you 10-15ppg and this team becomes very dangerous. Since we have Jamison at SF this team instead becomes the team that has to outscore you to win, the team that scores 100 but also gives up 100. 

All that said, I think Jamison will help us when he gets back. Arenas and Hughes can carry the scoring load, but I think Jamison draws some attention just because he was an All-Star and opposing teams think he's better than he really is so it will open up the offense more. Jared Jeffries is just terrible IMO, he makes too many dumb mistakes and in a playoff series he will hurt us, trust me on that we will at least one game where we come on here complaining about Jeffries stupid mistakes costing us. Jamison is a veteran, he doesn't make that many mistakes besides taking stupid shots. I think we see what we have this year, Jamison is pretty much expendable if you can get a quality starting PF. 

It will be interesting to see what the starting line up is when everyone's healthy. Let's say Etan keeps putting up double doubles and the team keeps winning, what does EJ do then? The entire offense seems better with Kwame/Etan at the PF/C posistions. The guards are shooting much better percentages lately. And do you put Jamison in there for Jared or Kwame? How about bringing him off the bench?


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Shanghai Kid said:


> We've adjusted to playing without Jamison for sure. The truth is if you take any decent starting SF and put him out there with Arenas and Hughes than this was going to be a winning team. Even take a guy like Hedo Turkalu or Shane Battier, and this team would be fine. Last year we didn't have any starting SF since Stack was gone the whole season basically. Jamison may have been a bad trade, your stuck with a guy with a huge contract who does nothing but score garbage type baskets. You put a good defender at SF who can give you 10-15ppg and this team becomes very dangerous. Since we have Jamison at SF this team instead becomes the team that has to outscore you to win, the team that scores 100 but also gives up 100.
> 
> All that said, I think Jamison will help us when he gets back. Arenas and Hughes can carry the scoring load, but I think Jamison draws some attention just because he was an All-Star and opposing teams think he's better than he really is so it will open up the offense more. Jared Jeffries is just terrible IMO, he makes too many dumb mistakes and in a playoff series he will hurt us, trust me on that we will at least one game where we come on here complaining about Jeffries stupid mistakes costing us. Jamison is a veteran, he doesn't make that many mistakes besides taking stupid shots. I think we see what we have this year, Jamison is pretty much expendable if you can get a quality starting PF.
> 
> It will be interesting to see what the starting line up is when everyone's healthy. Let's say Etan keeps putting up double doubles and the team keeps winning, what does EJ do then? The entire offense seems better with Kwame/Etan at the PF/C posistions. The guards are shooting much better percentages lately. And do you put Jamison in there for Jared or Kwame? How about bringing him off the bench?


I agree with what you're saying say that defensive minded perimeter oriented sf is named Ruben Patterson. He could get us 12-15 on hustle basket PLUS he'd be able to take the the other teams best perimeter player put Hughes on the 2nd guy and just sit Arenas on the least active guy and we'd become a good to great defensive team. Patterson and Hughes would limit the penetration which kills our defense our interior is pretty set and Patterson would eat the garbage nicely. 

As it stands though I'd bench JJ simply because he's an energy guy. Kwame's not an energy guy so to me it wouldn't make sense bringing him in off the bench. JJ only has good scoring games by accident. Even with limited mobility Kwame backs into stats he gets us 8-12 most nights and with 8-10 rebs. Plus Jamison would get a break from the pounding of guarding the bigger guys JJ stuggles with. 

I think the Kwame/Etan frontline is a better frontline even than Kwame/Haywood simply because they're more physical. Haywood rarely uses his size to throw people around and with Etan batttling Kwame gets more physical. They never get pushed around or man handled where as Haywood sometimes allows guys to get postion because he always thinks he can block the shot after the post guy does his move when sometimes the best defense is fighting for the postion.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

Idunkonyou said:


> :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


Not saying Howard has no offense to be a negative. I mean he has no real discernable post moves or jumpshot. He's basically an offensive rebounding phenom and finisher. Nothing wrong with that at this stage. I think the kid is gonna be great. He just doesn't know the game yet is all. He gets points with garbage plays and running the floor. Once he develops the post moves with his size and athleticism he's gonna be something special.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

jazzy1 said:


> Not saying Howard has no offense to be a negative. I mean he has no real discernable post moves or jumpshot. He's basically an offensive rebounding phenom and finisher. Nothing wrong with that at this stage. I think the kid is gonna be great. He just doesn't know the game yet is all. He gets points with garbage plays and running the floor. Once he develops the post moves with his size and athleticism he's gonna be something special.


He's really not but that's okay, you probably haven't seen him play a lot. I can understand Suns' fans frustrations now when people used to say all Amare does is dunk. It's simply not true. Dwight hits some jumpers but more often he uses drop steps, spin moves, and especially baby hooks to score very efficiently. Once he gets more touches and learns to protect the ball better he'll be nearly unstoppable.


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## MJG (Jun 29, 2003)

Haven't read through the thread yet, so this probably has been noted already, but the Magic comeback started when in the late third when EJ wholesale subbed to give us a lineup of Blake/Dixon/Damone/Profit/Ruffin. They then started their press and scored 6 or 8 points in no more than a minute. No matter how much good EJ does, he always pulls off a bonehead move like that to negate it.

I only got to see from the mid-3rd on, so I can't comment much on how we got the big lead. It was pathetic seeing us let it go, though oddly enough I never felt like we were going to lose the game, no matter how close they cut it. Maybe it was because 25 points seemed like too much to overcome, maybe I just couldn't accept the fact that we could possibly let such a lead go -- regardless, I held the faith in this one.

Worst thing was how sadly our non-Arenas guards handled that press. You'd think he was playing with four centers the way our other guards and swingmen got abused any time they touched the ball in the backcourt. It got to the point where the whole team revolved around setting things up so Arenas could both throw the ball in and get it back to bring it up. I fear that other teams, specifically playoff opponents, will watch the final period of this one and do the exact same thing to us. I don't think we're capable of handling such an aggressive press without both starting guards in there.

Not that much else to comment on, since I missed out on the good stuff. Arenas and Hughes carried us, such is always the case. Damone was pretty awful in his first game or two with us I thought, but since, he's won me over. Not that he's anything great, but I no longer have any problems with him getting some 16-20 minutes off the bench while we have our injuries. It's nice to see us winning games with the piles of injuries, regardless of the general lack of quality of the opponent (outside Seattle). We play 5 games in 7 days next week, mostly against middle of the pack eastern teams, so here's hoping we keep the momentum rolling.


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