Mystery Disease Kills Thousands
Gay Marriage Vote Puts Heat On Christie
Among the myriad problems facing the Washington Wizards, executing at the end of tight games might rank most troubling. Heading into Wednesday's match at Sacramento, the Wiz had lost five straight games by four points or less. Included in that run were a few instances of Gilbert Arenas, he of the immeasurable swag just a few years back, missing critical free throws.Arenas, who had a monster night against the Kings, again had the opportunity to get Washington into the win column. Down one point with less than 10 seconds left, the Wizards cleared out so Gil could go one-on-one with Kings rookie beast Tyreke Evans. Evans had just been called for an iffy dead ball foul trying to prevent Arenas from receiving an inbounds pass -- Caron Butler hit a free throw to cut that lead to one before the Wizards took possession.
Arenas lined Evans up, and tried to cross him over. That ... was a bad choice.
Evans picked Arenas cleanly, and Arenas had to foul, knocking him out of the game. Bummer, dude.
Arenas might look like the problem, given this turnover and the previous free throw issues. But he kept the Wizards in the game, and led the fourth quarter charge that nearly ended the team's dry spell. Antawn Jamison owned the offensive glass in the first half on his way to 30 points for the night, but it was Arenas keeping the pressure on the young Kings.
The Wizards' bench is emaciated, and the only sub Flip Saunders appears to have confidence in is Earl Boykins. Nick Young actually defended Evans moderately well, but didn't get a shot late. Dominic McGuire did, and he plus a team-wide strategy to keep Evans out of the paint worked to some extent. But on offense it came down to just Arenas and Jamison, and it just wasn't enough in the end.
Caron Butler doesn't look like himself, and given that he's the Wizard on the most reasonable contract, you wouldn't be surprised to see Tough Juice by the first domino to fall in Washington, assuming Ernie Grunfeld thinks something needs to happen to shake off the team's crippling malaise. On the one hand, close games are basically decided in random fashion. But it's difficult to deny that this string of painful defeats is strangling Washington's confidence. You can see it in Gil's blank stare after the Evans pick, in Butler's constant frown. At some point, the daggers just hurt too much.
House GOP Offers Deal In Big Fight
Washington Gay Marriage Legislation Signed Into Law By Governor Chris Gregoire
U.S. Green-Lights Google's Massive $12.5 Billion Purchase
Afghanistan Base Named 'Aryan' Raises Objections From Soldiers
Whitney Houston's Family Reportedly Told The Singer Didn't Drown
WATCH: Fox News Pundit's Disturbing Comments About Rape
Apple Announces Investigation Of Foxconn Factories
New Poll: Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney Tied Nationally
Debt Ceiling Showdown 2: Coming This Fall, In Time For The Election, Only Worse
Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions Warn Obama's Budget Could Make The U.S. Like Greece
WATCH: 25 Million Tons Of Japan Tsunami Debris Headed Directly Our Way
Scott Brown's Pledge To Keep Out Third Parties Written With Help Of Third Party
Topless Protesters Target 'Gas Gangsters'
Supreme Court Justice Robbed
It's Only Getting Worse: Economists' Latest Dire Prediction
Rex Sinquefield Apologizes For Comment Linking Schools With KKK
Huff TV: WATCH: Arianna Weighs In On Tony Bennett's Call To Legalize Drugs
DNC Pushed To Incorporate Marriage Equality Into Party Platform
In One U.S. City, Budget Cuts Leave Homeless Without Bathrooms, Water Overnight
Obama Sending Ambitious Plan To Congress
WATCH: Anderson Cooper's Hilarious Adventures With Adele
WATCH: Bill Maher Rips GOP Concept Of 'Elites'
