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Written by Media Relations
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Saturday, 17 November 2007 |
The Washington Wizards host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at Verizon Center at 7:00 pm on Comcast SportsNet and WTEM 980 AM.
* This game marks the first of two meetings between Washington and Portland this season. The Wizards and Trail Blazers will meet again on March 25th in Portland.
* After being swept by Portland last season (0-2), the Wizards look to snap a three-game losing streak at the hand of the Trail Blazers tonight.
* Washington hosts Portland with its three-game winning streak on the line. A win against the Trail Blazers will give Washington its first four-game winning streak since January 15-20 of last season (UTA, NY, @ ORL, BOS).
* After losing their first five games this season, the Wizards have since rebounded to win their last three contests. The NBA record for a winning streak immediately following a losing streak of 5+ games to start a season is held by the 2001-02 Philadelphia 76ers; a that started the season 0-5 and then won seven straight games to improve to 7-5.
* In six-plus seasons in the NBA, Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has scored 30+ points in a single game against 29 NBA teams. Portland is the lone team against which Arenas has yet to score 30+ in a game. In 13 career games versus the Trail Blazers, Arenas has averaged 18.0 points per game with a high of 29.
* After scoring a season-low 82 points on Nov. 3 versus Orlando, Washington has increased its scoring output from the previous game in each of the last five games...85 @ NJ...92 vs. DEN...101 @ ATL...103 vs. IND...105 @ MIN.
* Last night in Minnesota…Caron Butler had a team-high and season-high 29 points...Gilbert Arenas had a team-high eight assists...Brendan Haywood led the Wizards with 11 rebounds; his third straight game with 10+ rebounds (sixth this season)...Darius Songaila scored in double figures for the third time this season...Washington shot a season-high .519 from the field...Washington’s 32 first quarter points, 34 fourth quarter points, 11 steals and 16-point victory margin also represented team season-highs.
* Wizards-Blazers connections...Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas and forward Antawn Jamison represented the United States during the 2006 FIBA World Championships, as did Portland Head Coach Nate McMillan who was an assistant coach for the U.S....Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan briefly played for the Trail Blazers during the 1983-84 NBA season…Wizards guard Antonio Daniels played for Portland during the 2002-203 season…Blazers guard Steve Blake was drafted by the Wizards in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft, and played for the Wizards from 2003-2005.
* Wizards averaging career-highs include…
Caron Butler...22.3 points...7.5 rebounds...2.3 steals...40.4 minutes...508 field goal percentage
Brendan Haywood...10.4 rebounds...1.1 assists...2.1 blocks...30.4 minutes
Antawn Jamison...9.6 rebounds….844 free throw percentage
Darius Songaila...1.000 free throw percentage
Andray Blatche...4.3 points...3.5 rebounds...1.4 blocks...16.0 minutes….455 field goal percentage
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