Wizards trying to make it three victories in row
The season is almost over, just in time for Andray Blatche to play like he wants it to never end.
After missing 10 games with a sprained right shoulder, the Wizards forward is playing perhaps his best basketball this season, averaging 25 points and 14.7 rebounds in the last three games, including a combined 61 points and 36 rebounds in the last two.
“I’m just happy to be back,” Blatche said after matching his career high with 36 points and setting a career high with 19 rebounds, including a franchise-record 16 offensive boards, against Cleveland on Friday. “I had a chance to look, and I was kind of hurt, not playing a couple weeks. I didn’t want to take it for granted, and now I’m just coming back and playing with a lot of energy and playing.”
Blatche excelled against the Cavaliers and Bobcats, two teams with a limited frontcourt presence, but the Wizards (20-56) have also looked stronger and more poised as a team, in part aided by what Maurice Evans and Jordan Crawford have carried over since their arrival from Atlanta in February.
| Up next |
| Pistons at Wizards |
| When » Tuesday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » Verizon Center |
| TV » Comcast SportsNet |
Evans, who went to the playoffs in each of the first seven years of his career, said he’s used to gearing up in April for another month of action, not shutting things down. Crawford, even though he’s a rookie, learned quickly about the toughness and attitude inside a winning locker room.
“I took it from there how bad you want it,” said Crawford, who has at least 21 points in his last four games. “In Atlanta, you lose a couple of games, you had to toughen up, get a little serious, try to get a win. I try to bring that.”
The result is Washington’s second set of back-to-back victories this season, which means another chance to garner its first three-game winning streak since April 2008.
Detroit, which has lost three in a row and six of its last seven contests, would seem a timely opponent, but the Pistons (26-50) have won eight in a row against the Wizards, including all six clashes in the last two seasons with former coach Flip Saunders.
Tuesday’s game will also mark the first return to Washington for Pistons rookie Greg Monroe. The former Georgetown standout broke into the Pistons’ lineup in January and has averaged 11.8 points and 8.8 rebounds as a starter, including a season-best 13.5 points and 9.2 boards in March.
