How do you blend three high-scoring All-Stars into an NBA lineup? It’s a question the Wizards are anxious to answer.
The long-awaited chemistry experiment may have to be delayed, yet again, as Caron Butler is questionable for tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics.
In practice yesterday, Butler collided with teammate Darius Songaila, and both left the Verizon Center floor. Butler (bruised knee) and Songaila (sprained ankle) are listed as day-to-day.
X-rays on Butler’s knee were negative, indicating the injury isn’t serious. But it’s a double whammy at the forward spot that playoff-bound Washington can ill afford. In the final five games of the regular season, much is at stake as the Wizards, currently in fifth-place in the Eastern Conference, aim to enhance their postseason draw. If Washington (40-37) moves past nemesis Cleveland (42-35), it wound earn the home-court advantage in an opening-round series with the Cavaliers.
“The last two years here, we lost to [Cleveland] in the playoffs,” said forward Andray Blatche, the likely starter if Butler and Songaila can’t go. “So that fourth seed is very important.”
Tonight against Boston (61-15), the Wizards will face a team that has perfected the art of blending a trio of high-profile stars.
“Our big three is still kind of working their way back into form,” said Wizards center Brendan Haywood. “Their big three has been doing this thing all year, quite effectively.”
Some have been more effusive in describing the play of the Celtics, who have enjoyed a historic turnaround from last year’s 24-58 mark. With the addition of forward Kevin Garnett and guard Ray Allen, to join holdover forward Paul Pierce, Boston has made the greatest single-season improvement in NBA history.
Boston’s dominance has been such that it clinched the No. 1 seed in the East last week, allowing them to rest the Big Three for Saturday’s game at Charlotte, which the Celtics still won, 101-78.
The Wizards are expecting to see the Big Three tonight, especially in light of Washington’s back-to-back wins over Boston in January. The only other team to beat Boston twice this season is Cleveland.
“Boston probably really wants to get a piece of us. We beat them twice. A lot of guys were jawing back and forth,” said Haywood. “They rested their guys against [Charlotte], but I think they’ll really want this game.”
