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Wizards News, Notes & Quotes |
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Written by Media Relations
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Wednesday, 12 December 2007 |
The Washington Wizards will play the Miami Heat tomorrow night (Thursday, Dec. 13th) in Miami at 8:00 pm on TNT and WTEM 980 AM.
* This game marks the first of four meetings between Washington and Miami this season. The Wizards and Heat will meet again on December 29th in Washington, March 21st in Miami, and April 4th in Washington.
* Washington looks to snap an eight-game losing streak in Miami. The Wizards last win in Miami came on April 11, 2003 by virtue of a 91-87 decision. In that game, Miami’s Caron Butler finished with a team-high 19 points. Also of note about that game, a sell-out crowd of 20,152 — then the largest ever to attend an event in the history of American Airlines Arena in Miami — saw Michael Jordan’s #23 retired by the Heat. Washington’s Brendan Haywood and Etan Thomas are the lone holdovers on either team’s roster that were with their respective teams when Washington last won in Miami.
* The Wizards currently own an 11-10 record this season; equaling their season-high of one-game over .500. With a win against Miami, Washington can improve to a season-best two-games above the .500 mark.
* With 22 points and 13 rebounds in Washington’s last game, Wizards forward Antawn Jamison recorded his seventh consecutive double-double, and his 15th double-double of the season. Jamison’s 15 double-doubles rank fifth in the NBA, second in the Eastern Conference, and tops among all Eastern Conference forwards. With a double-double against Miami, Jamison can set a new career-best with a double-double in eight consecutive games, and become the first Wizard since Rod Strickland in February, 1998 to notch a double-double in eight straight contests.
* Currently averaging 21.4 points and a career-high 10.5 rebounds per game, Antawn Jamison joins Orlando’s Dwight Howard, Utah’s Carlos Boozer and Houston’s Yao Ming as the only four players in the NBA currently averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Jamison has proven to be potent from inside and outside this season, as he’s also connected on a team-leading 37 three-point field goals this season. Howard, Boozer and Ming have zero three-pointers to their credit for their respective teams this season.
* Wizards forward Caron Butler was drafted by Miami with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, and as a rookie in Miami, Butler averaged 15.4 points per game and was named to the 2002-03 NBA All-Rookie First Team. Now in his third season with the Wizards after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, Butler is averaging career-highs in points per game (22.8), minutes per game (40.7), field goal percentage (.520), three-point percentage (.460) and free throw percentage (.888). In six career games against Miami, Butler has averaged 18.3 points per game.
* In five games played in the month of December, Wizards guard Roger Mason Jr. has averaged 12.8 points in 23.6 minutes per game, with a .550 field goal percentage. Mason has been particularly accurate from long range of late, as he’s hit 11-of-18 (.611) three-pointers in his last five games.
* In Washington’s last game (W, 102-88 vs. MIN, 12/11)…Washington earned its first season-sweep against Minnesota since the 1999-00 season...Antawn Jamison had a team-high 22 points along with 13 rebounds, and notched his 15th double-double of the season...Jamison and DeShawn Stevenson tied for team-high assist honors with five apiece...Stevenson scored 14 points and connected on a career-high tying four three-point field goals...Caron Butler’s 20 points and 10 rebounds gave him his third double-double of the year...Brendan Haywood also recorded a double-double — his 8th of 2007-08 — with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds...Haywood’s eighth double-double surpassed his total of seven double-doubles last season...Butler, Jamison and Haywood recorded double-doubles in the same game for the second time this season; the first of which came on opening night at Indiana...Roger Mason Jr. scored a season-high 17 points...Washington grabbed a season-high 57 rebounds.
* Last season vs. Miami…Miami won three of four meetings, including both games played in Florida...The Wizards’ 106-95 win against Miami in DC on December 15, 2006 snapped a 12-game regular season losing streak to the Heat.
WIZARDS HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN
On the Wizards:
“Everyone on the team has stepped up. Roger (Mason, Jr.) has done some real good things for us. Dominic McGuire came in last night and gave us quality minutes. It seems every night someone steps up.”
On the Miami Heat:
“They are a tough team to beat, especially at home. Dwyane Wade and (Shaquille O’Neal) make it hard. They are always tough to defend.”
WIZARDS GUARD ROGER MASON, JR.
On the Miami Heat:
“They are playing a lot better lately. I watched them go out and get a big win versus Phoenix (Suns). It is going to be a tough game, but I like how we’re playing right now. We’re going to go down and try to get a win.”
WIZARDS CENTER BRENDAN HAYWOOD
On Miami:
“It is a tough game for us. They have given us a hard time lately, but we want to show them we aren’t the same Wizards.”
WIZARDS GUARD DESHAWN STEVENSON
On the Miami Heat:
“They are great team. We have to be focused and play at a high level.”
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