On a day the Wizards welcomed center Etan Thomas back to their bench, they treated him to one of their best all-around efforts of the season, defeating Western Conference power Dallas, 102-84, Monday at Verizon Center.
Wearing a blue three-piece suit and looking fit 15 weeks removed from open-heart surgery to repair a leak of his aortic valve, Thomas’ presence inspired the Wizards as they completed their first sweep of the Mavericks since the 1996-97 season.
“He came to practice the other day and that was really uplifting,” said guard Antonio Daniels. “It means a lot to me because I lost my brother to heart problems. It means a lot to me to seehim interacting with the guys and see the smile on his face. If this doesn’t make you understand how blessed we are, nothing will.”
Thomas got a big ovation from the sellout crowd of 20,173 at the Verizon Center when he was introduced in the third period. Soon afterwards, the Wizards took control behind forwards Caron Butler (25 points, 9 rebounds) and Antawn Jamison (23 points, 8 rebounds) and guard DeShawn Stevenson (18 points).
In moving to five games over .500 for the first time this season, Washington (22-17) out-scored Dallas 16-4 over the final five minutes of the third period as the Mavs rested forward Josh Howard (32 points, 11 of 16 shooting).
Jamison heightened the rally with a 3-pointer and a scoop shot. The Wizards also did it with defense, holding Dallas (27-13) to 2 for 12 shooting and forcing two turnovers during the spurt. For the game, Washington forced 16 turnovers, while committing a season-low seven.
“They were active. They play the passing lanes well,” said Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki (21 points). “They have long guys, athletic guys who can get their hands on the ball. Give them credit.”
Wizards Notes
» The Wizards hit 11 of 22 shots from 3-point range, matching their season high, as five different players hit from beyond the arc.
» The Wizards have held nine of their last 10 opponents under 100 points.
» The Wizards are 6-0 when holding opponents to 85 points or less. Last year, Washington failed to hold any opponent to 85 or less.
