Talk about choking: The Wizards lost a fourth-quarter lead, Gilbert Arenas missed a free throw and a jumper, Antawn Jamison missed two late free throws that would've tied the game and Caron Butler made a bad pass with 11.4 secons left and the Wizards down by four that pretty much sealed the deal. My prediction: The Wizards will not make the playoffs. And if they do, they'll end up facing the Pistons, which would result in a four-game sweep.
Their defensive inefficiency and propensity for playing poorly late in games has resulted in five loses in six games. In those six, they have given up more than 100 points five times. They won one of those games. They have routinely lost games in the second half, which shows that they are not ready to be a competitive basketball team. I don't know what it takes for this team to understand the importance of defense and late-game composure, but if they don't figure it out soon, they're cooked. Five of their next six are at home, but three are against teams who will make the playoffs this year, and another is against Chicago, a team that gives the Wizards all kinds of trouble. After that, they embark on a six-game West Coast road trip that could ultimately bring this season to an end.
The Bulls and the Celtics are making a push for that eighth seed in the Eastern Conference standings, and they're looking like serious contenders. With Sixers and Bucs losses tonight, the Wizards still maintain their hold on the sixth seed, but it's tenuous, at best. They're 30-30 and falling fast. Washington better solve their magnificently inconsistent season quickly. Detriot comes calling Saturday.
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