Wizards end team-record 16-game skid
March 31, 2010
NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Mike Miller(notes) scored a season-high 27 points and the WashingtonWizards snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a 96-91 win overthe New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.
The Wizards avoided an 0-17 March with their first win since beating NewJersey on Feb. 28.
Andray Blatche(notes) scored 23 points, and Shaun Livingston(notes) added 18 for theWizards, who played without four regular starters but still shot 55.9 percentfrom the floor.
David West(notes) scored 18 points for the Hornets, who were coming off a home winagainst the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Chris Paul(notes) had eight points and nineassists.
Washington almost blew a 12-point lead in the last 4:20. After trailing87-75, the Hornets had two chances to tie in the final 15.3 seconds, but JamesPosey(notes) missed a free throw and West was off target on a 3-point attempt.
Miller’s two free throws sealed the win with 4.4 seconds left.
Washington, which lost a fourth-quarter lead at Houston on Tuesday, was incontrol of this one almost all the way. The Wizards led by 4 at the half, 70-59at the end of the third quarter and answered every Hornets run.
After New Orleans pulled to 80-75 on a Darren Collison(notes) floater, Millerdrilled a 3-pointer, Livingston hit a mid-range jumper and Blatche converted twofree throws to give Washington a 87-75 lead with 3:32 left.
Even that advantage was not safe.
The Hornets went on a 11-2 run, closing the gap to 88-86 on a 3-pointer byMarcus Thornton(notes). The Wizards went back up by 6 on baskets from Blatche and JamesSingleton(notes), but the Hornets forced three consecutive turnovers in the finalminute and had a chance to tie it when Posey went to the free-throw line with15.3 seconds left.
He missed the first foul shot, and Livingston’s free throws put Washingtonahead 94-91 with 13.6 left.
West missed a contested 3-point attempt on the Hornets’ next possession,setting up Miller for his clinching free throws.
Until the frantic finish, everything came easily for the Wizards, who scoredfour consecutive baskets on layups or dunks early in the fourth quarter. Millerwent 9 for 14 from the field, Blatche was 8 for 10 and Livingston hit 8 of 10.
Collison, who had made 16 of 19 shots in the Hornets’ last two games, was anon-factor for most of the night, going 2 of 4 from the floor through threequarters.
The Hornets’ last lead was 3-2.
Blatche started quickly, hitting six of his first seven shots and scoring 12points in the first quarter against the sluggish Hornets.
The Hornets closed their deficit to 40-39 with a late 10-2 spurt, butBlatche’s outside shot gave the Wizards a 43-39 lead at the break.
NOTES: The Hornets played their first game without former lead assistant TimFloyd, who was named UTEP coach on Tuesday. Floyd, the head coach for NewOrleans in 2003-04, joined the Hornets on Nov. 12 when Byron Scott was fired ascoach and replaced by Jeff Bower. … Cedric Jackson(notes), whom the Wizards signed toa 10-day contract earlier Wednesday, did not play. Jackson, a rookie, averaged16.4 points and 7.4 assists for the Erie Bayhawks in the D-League … NewOrleans (35-41), which was eliminated from the playoff picture earlier thisweek, is guaranteed to have its first non-winning season since 2006-07.
