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Washington's Antawn Jamison rolls a jump hook |
BY ADAM HIMMELSBACH
WASHINGTON--
During the Wizards' pre-game shootaround yesterday, coach Eddie Jordan told his players that Caron Butler would miss the game against the Toronto Raptors because of a strained hip flexor.Andray Blatche realized he would start, and he hurried home to get some extra rest. Rookie Dominic McGuire, who entered the night averaging just six minutes per game, had a feeling he might get the chance he had been waiting for.
And when the game began, there was the 21-year-old Blatche, spinning through the lane and hitting jumpshots with a veteran's aplomb. And as the game progressed, there was the 22-year-old McGuire, tussling and scraping for rebounds like his body was made of rocks.
"Without those two performances tonight," forward Antawn Jamison said, "this game probably would have been a different story."
Even with those two performances, though, the story nearly had a sour ending for Washington. But after Toronto's Anthony Parker sent the game to overtime with an improbable buzzer-beating 3-pointer, the Wizards took control in the extra session and took a 108-104 victory.
Blatche finished with 19 points and eight rebounds and McGuire added 10 rebounds--six at the offensive end--in 21 minutes. Jamison had 24 points and 20 rebounds.
Raptors forward Chris Bosh tallied 37 points and 12 rebounds, but after a dominant first half in which he dunked the ball seemingly whenever he wanted to, the Wizards slowed the lefthander a bit by forcing him to his right.
"They did a good job of keeping me from getting good looks," Bosh said. "DeShawn Stevenson did a good job of coming over and making me hold the ball a little more."
Jamison played 52 minutes and Bosh played 50, but neither star will have much time to recuperate.
After the game, both teams boarded flights to Toronto, where they will face each other again this evening. Butler, who is likely to be named an all-star reserve tomorrow, is expected to miss his second consecutive contest.
Last night, the forward sat at the end of the Wizards' bench wearing a dress suit, and he watched helplessly as Toronto rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 4 minutes, 11 seconds of regulation.
A quick 8-0 burst pulled the Raptors within 88-85 with 1:56 left. Washington led, 93-89, with three seconds left, however, and everything seemed under control before Jamario Moon drained a 3-pointer from the left arc.
Toronto quickly fouled Wizards guard Antonio Daniels, who made both free-throws with 1.2 seconds remaining.
The Raptors called their final timeout, allowing them to advance the ball to midcourt. On the inbounds play, Moon looked to point guard Jose Calderon, who had already converted four 3-pointers.
But Calderon was tightly covered, and Moon's only option was to fire a pass to Parker, who at that moment was just 2-for-14 from the field. Unfazed, Parker caught the ball at the right arc--about two feet from Wizards' coach Eddie Jordan--turned, and swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The crowd moaned. The game went to overtime. The Raptors had momentum as well as Bosh.
"It was like a knockout punch to the head," Jordan said. "But we kept going and kept our composure."
The Wizards led, 98-97, with 1:15 left in overtime when Roger Mason Jr. popped a 3-pointer from the left side. After the ball went in, Raptors coach Sam Mitchell stomped the hardwood floor and shook his head.
Bosh was fouled on Toronto's next possession and made 1 of 2 free-throws. At the other end of the floor, Stevenson (20 points) made his fifth 3-pointer of the game to make it 104-98.
Washington would not trail again.
"We kept our confidence, and that's what the NBA is about," Jordan said. "Teams are going to make shots, but the teams that respond are the ones that make it in this league."
TORONTO (104)
Moon 3-8 0-0 7, Bosh 11-22 14-18 37, Bargnani 1-6 1-2 3, Calderon 8-11 3-4 23, Parker 3-16 0-0 8, Delfino 0-6 1-2 1, Nesterovic 0-0 0-0 0, Kapono 2-3 1-2 6, Humphries 8-9 0-0 16, Dixon 1-2 0-0 3, Graham 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 37-87 20-28 104.
WASHINGTON (108)
Jamison 9-25 5-6 24, Blatche 8-12 2-3 19, Haywood 3-8 3-3 9, Daniels 4-11 7-8 15, Stevenson 7-16 1-1 20, Mason 5-13 0-0 13, Pecherov 1-3 0-0 2, Young 1-2 0-0 2, Songaila 1-2 0-0 2, McGuire 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 40-95 18-21 108.
Toronto | 20 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 9-- | 104 |
Washington | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 13-- | 108 |
3-Point Goals--Toronto 10-27 (Calderon 4-7, Parker 2-8, Kapono 1-1, Moon 1-1, Dixon 1-2, Bosh 1-2, Bargnani 0-2, Delfino 0-4), Washington 10-30 (Stevenson 5-11, Mason 3-7, Blatche 1-1, Jamison 1-7, Pecherov 0-2, Daniels 0-2). Fouled Out--None. Rebounds--Toronto 51 (Bosh 12), Washington 65 (Jamison 20). Assists--Toronto 25 (Calderon 13), Washington 17 (Mason 6). Total Fouls--Toronto 21, Washington 24. A--12,905 (20,173).
Adam Himmelsbach: 540/374-5442
Email: ahimmelsbach@freelancestar.com
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