What’s the best way to handle a guy who’s 0-19 against Dwyane Wade? Apparently, it’s to admit defeat.
Not in the team sense, of course, given Washington’s 94-84 win over Miami earlier tonight. But Wizards head coach Flip Saunders did leave Gilbert Arenas – who had never beaten the Heat when Wade played – on the bench for the final 14 minutes Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Other brief thoughts: What was wrong with Wade anyway? The way Mario Chalmers (team-high 20 points) was attacking the basket, it was as if Wade was sick. But more than likely it had something to do with Wade scoring 24 points in last night’s win at Orlando – a game in which Chalmers had just 4. Let’s be honest, right now that game was/is way more important to Miami than beating the Wizards (5-9), which the Heat (9-6) have already done, twice. Miami can still clinch the season series against Washington – and thus a playoff tiebreaker – at Verizon Center on January 22.
Another strong night for Nick Young, who had 22 points, 5 assists and 3 turnovers, and more importantly, did a solid job on back-to-back-nights Wade. Saunders ain’t afraid to go with whoever’s got the hot hand. It didn’t seem like Young was given an enthusiastic endorsement after the Sixers game, but that could be part of the way Saunders is coaching him. There’s no doubt he’s responded. Did anyone see him smile tonight? Perhaps when he was gifted two free throw attempts late in the fourth quarter – which he promptly missed.
But back to the hot hands. How about Earl Boykins? 10 points, 9 assists, ZERO turnovers in 21 minutes on the floor. It’s not even that Arenas had a bad game, although his numbers (9 points, 5 assists) were well short of what he’s used to. It’s just that Boykins was that much better down the stretch. Can’t wait to see how this plays out, but it seems like the way that it should is Arenas should be on the bench until his shooting percentage goes up or his turnovers go down, plain and simple.
I’ll admit, I have a way of leaving Antawn Jamison (game-high 24 points, 13 rebounds) until the end, but that’s a testament to his consistency. Like, the four double-doubles in five games kind of consistency.
For lack of a better way to put it, it seemed like the Wizards have begun to put aside their petty squabbles in the wake of team owner Abe Pollin’s death, or Saunders simply put aside Arenas – and healthy-again Caron Butler (9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals), for that matter – to hold off the Heat down the stretch. Either way, it’s resulted in the first two-game winning streak of the season.
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