Gilbert Arenas botched his prediction and then missed the game-winning shot. It wasn’t a good night for him Tuesday. But, with Arenas, heroics are always only a game away.
So it was Wednesday when Arenas banked in a drive in the lane to beat Seattle, giving the Wizards a 108-106 win.
It’s Arenas’ third game-winning buzzer-beating shot of the year. And one night after scoring just 19 points, he finished with 42 vs. the Sonics. He missed a last-second shot against Portland, and came up 31 short of his prediction earlier this season that he would score 50 points against the Blazers.
“You make some, you win some,” Arenas said.
Despite constant double-teaming, it was the ninth time this season Arenas had scored 40 or more points.
“Some nights you feel it and some nights you don’t,” Arenas said. “I was getting doubled [Tuesday] and was missing shots and [Wednesday] I was hitting those shots.”
Earl Watson, who defended Arenas on the play, said he was trying to prevent a three-point shot. The Sonics didn’t double team him on the final play.
“I didn’t want to give him the shot he always hits where he goes behind his back behind the three and just pulls up,” Watson said. “Every summer he practices that shot as part of his workout routine.”
Washington is now 37-29, with a half-game lead over Miami in the Southeast Division, thanks to Arenas. He’s now scored 30 or more points in eight of the last 15 games.
“I had the chance to redeem myself and I did,” Arenas said.
