The Wizards headed west with a lead in the division, high hopes for a successful trip and the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
They returned with, well, none of the above.
After a 1-4 trip, the Wizards fell out of first place in the Southeast Division for the first time since Jan. 15. They trail Miami, now 12-5 minus Dwyane Wade, by a half-game. The good news for Washington is the teams are tied in the loss column.
The Wizards currently hold the conference’s No. 6 seed. With 13 regular season games remaining, that’s not where they hoped to be after a trip that featured four opponents with losing records.
Perhaps the one good sign for Washington is the imminent return of All-Star forward Caron Butler. He’s missed the past six games with a knee injury and is a game time decision for tonight’s matchup against Philadelphia at Verizon Center. Second-year forward Andray Blatche (knee) is out for the game.
“I feel great,” Butler said. “Mentally and physically I feel good. I went through some drills [Tuesday] and we’ll see how I feel [Wednesday]. I am just anxious to get back on the court.”
Probably not as anxious as Washington is to have him return. Regardless, the Wizards have work to do to regain the momentum they had before Antawn Jamison was hurt at the end of January. Jamison missed 12 games with his injury and Butler has missed nine games since then. The Wizards are 10-15 since Jamison’s injury.
“Going 1-4 was the last thing we were thinking about,” Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas told reporters after Monday’s 103-97 loss at Utah. “We played hard on this road trip, but it wasn’t enough.”
Conversely, Miami has won seven of 10 and plays only four more games against teams with winning records. The Heat play seven of their last 12 games on the road.
“We have to continue to stay together,” said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, who was ejected in the third quarter against Utah on Monday night. “We played every opponent down to the wire. We have to remember all the good things we did on the road. We were very competitive and we have to continue to execute.”
Wiz notes
» Ten of Washington’s last 13 games are against teams with losing records. That does not mean much, however, considering the Wizards are now 9-8 the past two months against teams which currently have a losing record.
» Forward Darius Songaila made his first start in Monday’s loss at Utah, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds in 27 minutes. He also fouled out.
» Washington also trails Toronto by a half-game in the Eastern Conference. Even if the Wizards pass Miami in the Southeast Division, they might only get the No. 4 seed. If the playoffs started today, Washington would face Miami in the first round.
