Wizards-Trail Blazers Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Jan 20 2013 4:27PM

Even without John Wall earlier this season, the Washington Wizards found a way to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers and end their franchise-worst start.

Now that Wall's back, the league-worst Wizards are looking to extend the Blazers' season-high losing streak to six when these teams meet on Monday night in Portland.

Losers of 12 straight to open the season, Washington (8-30) finally got into the win column with an 84-82 victory over Portland on Nov. 28.

The Blazers (20-20) will now get their first look at Wall this season after the point guard missed the first 33 games due to a stress injury to his left kneecap. The Wizards have won three times since the former No. 1 overall pick made his season debut five games ago.

Coming off the bench for coach Randy Wittman, Wall is averaging 15.6 points with 7.6 assists after scoring 24 with six assists in Saturday's 94-87 loss at the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Clippers.

Washington's offense is unsurprisingly looking much better of late. The Wizards average a league-worst 90.8 points, but have recorded three of their nine 100-point games since Wall's return.

Perhaps most importantly, Wall has instilled some much-needed confidence.

"We've got two more games that I feel like we can win and we can end the (five-game) trip on a good note," Wall said.

The Wizards have a league-worst 2-17 road record, but Portland has dropped three straight at home following a 9-0 stretch at the Rose Garden.

The Blazers have played a franchise-record nine straight games decided by six points or fewer. They need to find a way to avoid slow starts, though, considering they've trailed by 17 at the half in their last two contests.

"We definitely have had a trend of that lately," forward LaMarcus Aldridge said after Saturday's 110-104 loss to Milwaukee. "We have to figure out how to shake it. We always start a little slow and we always find a way to come back, but if we have better starts, then we won't have to fight so hard to come back."

The Blazers are shooting 40.6 percent from the field since their last victory.

Point guard Damian Lillard, who scored 20 points but shot 6 of 21 on Nov. 28, is hitting 35.6 percent over the last four contests. However, he's coming off his sixth 20-point, 9-assist game of the season (26 and 10). No other rookie has one such game.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal, right behind Lillard (18.3) in rookie scoring with 13.9 points per contest, is averaging a team-best 19.5 over the last six games. Beal is 20 for 30 from 3-point range during this stretch.

Led by 29 points from Wall and 21 from Jordan Crawford, who led Washington with 19 on Nov. 28, the Wizards shot 60.0 percent and won 124-109 on Feb. 14 to snap a six-game skid at Portland.

The Blazers played the final 46 minutes of that game without Aldridge (sprained left ankle).

Crawford's 3 gives Wizards 98-95 win over Blazers

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Posted Jan 22 2013 1:49AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) His buzzer-beating 3-pointer was still under review but Jordan Crawford knew it was good. And so did his Washington Wizards teammates, who engulfed him in a dogpile on the floor of the Rose Garden.

"If I could get the game ball you know I would keep it," Crawford said after his 30-foot-jumper beat the clock and gave Washington a 98-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

Crawford's fadeaway and a corner 3-pointer gave the Wizards an 82-75 lead, their largest to that point, with just more than 7 minutes left in the game.

Rookie Damian Lillard's dunk pulled the Blazers to 91-90 with 2:21 left. Former Blazer Martell Webster and John Wall answered with consecutive dunks, but Lillard added a layup and Wesley Matthews hit a 3-pointer to tie it with 7.9 seconds left.

Crawford's game winner was reviewed but it didn't stop the Wizards' celebration.

"I just wanted to get a clean look, make a good play," Crawford said. "John (Wall) set the play; we wanted to get the defense moving and I got open. Tonight I was able to make it. I knew that shot had a chance."

Nicolas Batum had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double, but the Blazers lost their season-high sixth straight. The French forward was the first Portland player to have a triple-double since 2008.

"I don't really count it," Batum said about his feat. "We got swept by the Wizards this year."

The Wizards (9-30) have won four of their last six games - which coincides with the return of Wall, who missed the team's first 33 games with a stress injury in his left kneecap. In his first five games, Wall averaged 15.6 points and 7.6 assists. Playing off the bench against the Blazers, he had six points and two assists.

Nene and Webster each had a season-high 24 points to lead the Wizards, who won just their third on the road this season.

Webster called Crawford's buzzer-beater amazing.

"I told him when we were diagraming the play, `If you are wide open, shoot it. If not, you catch the ball and get into your rhythm and do your thing.' He's good at that. Really good. Give the guy some room and he can do some damage."

Washington opened the season with a 12 game losing streak - the franchise's worst-ever start - that was snapped by an 84-82 victory at home against the Blazers.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Portland (20-21), which lost its fourth straight at home after a nine-game winning streak. Lillard finished with 18 points.

"We need to win a game. I don't think anyone is worried or panicked. We just need to win a game," Lillard said.

Nene scored 10 points in the first four minutes for the Wizards, who led by as many as seven points early. The Blazers went ahead 21-19 on Lillard's 20-foot pull-up jumper, but couldn't hang on to the lead and Washington finished the first quarter ahead 34-31. Nene had 17 points in the first period alone.

The Wizards led until J.J. Hickson's dunk and free throw gave Portland a 42-40 edge midway through the second quarter.

Rookie Meyers Leonard's long jumper and a layup to extended the Blazers' lead to 48-40. Leonard was making his return after missing 11 games with a right ankle injury.

But the Wizards closed out the half with a 10-3 run to narrow it to 51-50 for Portland at the break.

The Blazers held off the Wizards in the third quarter but surrendered the lead when Emeka Okafor's free throw put Washington ahead 60-59. Webster made a 3-pointer that made it 63-61 for Washington.

The Wizards closed out the quarter with a 15-5 run to make it 69-64, but Ronnie Price narrowed it with a 3-pointer to open the final period.

"I always like to say the basketball gods usually even everything out. We've been on the other end of this so many times this year," Washington coach Randy Wittman said. "Our guys are sticking with it, learning, and making plays down the stretch when we have to."

NOTES: Washington's 34 first-quarter points were a season high. ... The Blazers' 13 points in the third quarter were a season low. ... All of the Blazers' starters finished in double figures. ... Batum's triple-double was just the third by a Blazer at the Rose Garden. ... It was Portland's 10th consecutive game that has been decided by six points or fewer, an ongoing franchise record. ... Washington won both meetings against the Blazers for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Notebook: Wizards 98, Trail Blazers 95

Kerry Eggers, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:27 AM - Updated Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:27 AM

THE FACTS: Washington's Jordan Crawford sank a 30-foot 3-pointer at the final horn to give Washington a 98-95 victory over Portland on Monday night at the Rose Garden.

Portland's Wesley Matthews had drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 95 with 7.9 seconds to play.

After a timeout, Portland intentionally fouled with a foul to give, stopping the clock with 3.6 seconds to go. After another timeout, Crawford gunned in the winning shot on a fadeaway attempt over Matthews' outstretched arm as time expired.

Nene and Martell Webster each scored 24 points for the Wizards (9-30), who won for the fifth time in the last seven games.

Damian Lillard scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead five players in double figures for the Trail Blazers (20-21), who suffered their sixth straight defeat.

QUOTABLE: "I just wanted to get a clean look, make a good play. I knew the shot had a (chance) to go in. I just thank the Lord I made it."

-- Crawford on his game-winning shot

THE STAT: Washington was 9-for-10 shooting in the game's first six minutes, then 30-for-74 (.405) the rest of the way.

TURNING POINT: What else but the game's final shot?

QUOTABLE II: "That's kind of like heartbreak. We fight our way all the way back to tie it with three seconds, and the guy hits a buzzer-beater. That's frustrating, when you're most likely going to overtime and you lose on a shot like that."

-- Lillard

HOT: Webster was 8-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, to hit a season-high scoring total.

NOT: Lillard started the game 1-for-11 from the field before finally warming up to hit his final six shots, finishing 7-for-17.

GOOD MOVE: Washington went to Nene early and he was sensational, sinking eight of nine shots and scoring 17 points in the game's first nine minutes.

BAD MOVE: Nene didn't get the ball much the rest of the way, taking only eight more shots, making two. He still set a season high in scoring.

QUOTABLE III: "The basketball gods usually even everything out. We've been on the other end of this so many times this year."

-- Washington coach Randy Wittman of the last-second victory

NOTABLE: Washington won the season series 2-0, sweeping the Blazers for the first time since the 2004-05 season. ... Portland's Nicolas Batum notched his first career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists ... Portland rookie center Meyers Leonard made his return to action after missing the last 11 games with a sprained ankle, collecting six points on 3-for-3 shooting with four rebounds in 12 minutes.

UP NEXT: For the Wizards, Wednesday @ Utah, Friday vs. Minnesota, Saturday vs. Chicago. For the Trail Blazers, Wednesday vs. Indiana, Saturday vs. L.A. Clippers, Sunday @ L.A. Clippers.

• Wizards: Martin
• Trail Blazers: Pavlovic, Williams

• Wizards: --
• Trail Blazers: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #18 Matt Boland, #66 Haywoode Workman
• Attendance: 17336
• Duration: 2:05