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Wizards' fatigue evident in loss
Wizards vs Hawks
Date published: 3/18/2008
BY ADAM HIMMELSBACH WASHINGTON-- A message on the dry-erase board in the Wizards' locker room told the players that their flight to Florida will leave at 1 p.m. today.Washington will play road games against the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat, giving it a potentially warm and sunny road trip. But for the Wizards, the infamous South Beach nightlife will include pillows rather than parties. Following Washington's 105-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at the Verizon Center last night, coach Eddie Jordan said that for the first time under his watch, the players will have a nightly curfew. "We've never had curfews before," Jordan said, "but we're putting our team in focus to have a business trip, just so they know we mean business." The players' reaction to Jordan's plan was unenthusiastic but understanding. "This is the time of year you need to rest your body and your mind and do what's best for the team," point guard Antonio Daniels said, "and if a curfew calls for that, so be it." Last night, the Wizards (33-33) seemed to go to sleep early against the Hawks. They converted just one field goal over the final 6 minutes of the game, as Atlanta cruised to the victory. Mike Bibby, who was acquired by Atlanta (29-38) in a trade with the Sacramento Kings last month, made 5 of 6 3-pointers and scored a team-high 23 points. The Hawks converted 55.4 percent of their field-goal attempts. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 25 points, but the injuries that have defined this season for Washington have not gone away. Both Caron Butler, who recently returned from a hip injury, and Daniels are dealing with left wrist injuries. Daniels, who suffered the injury when his left hand was caught in an opponent's jersey recently, said the pain has affected his ability to go to his left. Butler, who injured the wrist when he fell to the floor against Cleveland last Thursday, left the trainer's room with his wrist in a brace. Neither player expects to miss any games, but both said the injuries have affected them. "It's something that comes with the territory," Daniels said. "We've been bumped and bruised all season, but I'm not gonna sit in front of you guys and make excuses."
Date published: 3/18/2008
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