The first game unfolded in the worst way for Washington. The opponent, playing in front of a raucous home crowd, celebrated a playoff win after a drought. The Wizards hardly resembled the team that closed the regular season.
Dire predictions followed.
So did a playoff rally as the Wizards rallied to beat the Bulls in six games last season.
This history lesson is why the Wizards are not worried after dropping the playoff opener, 97-86, to Cleveland on Saturday. Last year in the playoffs, Washington overcame a 2-0 deficit to Chicago. The Wizards only trail 1-0 after Saturday.
The Wizards know they can rally from a playoff deficit. They also know there’s one big difference between Chicago and Cleveland: LeBron James.
“We’re not overreacting,” Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas said. “You’re mad after the game, but it’s a long series – and we’ll make it a long series. We were down 2-0 before we reacted [last year]. But I know [against] this team we can’t get down 2-0.”
It’s the same way they handled adversity earlier this season, when they dropped six games below .500. It’s the same way they reacted to finding themselves in a tough position at season’s end, fighting for playoff positioning.
“We’ve been a resilient club,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “All year we’ve come back and responded.”
Jordan’s calm demeanor helps. So, too, does the players’ mindset.
“We have a group of guys who were always told what they couldn’t do,” forward Caron Butler said. “And we’re all prospering. We’ll definitely be fine.”
