Playing their only preseason game at MCI Center, the Washington Wizards used a balanced attack to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats 97-85 last night before an announced crowd of 11,024.
The Wizards (3-3), paced by Gilbert Arenas’ 20 points, placed five players in double figures. Antawn Jamison added 16 points and six rebounds, Larry Hughes finished with 15 points and Juan Dixon came off the bench to finish with 13 points and four steals.
Coach Eddie Jordan was not completely satisfied with the performance because the Wizards committed 22 turnovers. However, they forced the Bobcats (1-4) into 25, which they converted into 27 points.
“We just didn’t get the stops and we didn’t get them out of their rhythm and we’ve got to break them out of it and that was because we had defensive breakdowns,” Jordan said.
The Wizards led by 17 points with just over three minutes to play in the first half. However, porous defense allowed Charlotte to cut the lead to 80-75 on a jumper by Eddie House with 8:15 left in the fourth.
But Arenas’ 3-pointer with 3:53 to play restored the Wizards’ lead to 12 points. The Bobcats, led by House’s 20 points, never got closer.
The Wizards have two remaining preseason games, at Chicago tonight and Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers in Oklahoma City. The Wizards open the regular season Nov.3 at Memphis. The home opener is Nov.6 against Shaquille O’Neal and the Miami Heat.
Last night marked the second meeting between the Wizards and the new club. Washington defeated the Bobcats 126-125 in double overtime Oct.14.
The Wizards, bitten by the injury bug for much of training camp, saw the return last night of some healthy bodies that they will count on heavily once the season begins. Gilbert Arenas (ankle) was back after missing a pair of games. Jarvis Hayes (back) returned after missing one game and reserve guard Anthony Peeler (dental surgery), out the previous two games, was back as well.
The Wizards are still without rotation regulars Kwame Brown (foot surgery), Steve Blake (ankle surgery) and Etan Thomas (abdominal strain).
Brown has said since the start of training camp that he expects to be out at least for the first two weeks of the season. Brown is scheduled to meet with the team doctor Thursday to be re-evaluated.
“There is no way I am going to be ready for the first game — that’s not going to happen,” Brown said. “But it’s going smooth. The main goal is to get the right leg as strong as the left one. It’s working out fine.”
Blake isn’t scheduled to return until early December, according to the team. However, Blake might be a little bit ahead of schedule, by his own reckoning at least.
“I think I might be back in November,” Blake said. “My feeling is that as soon as I’m ready, I’ll be out there. They are telling me that I can do whatever I want to do as long as it doesn’t hurt.”
Blake also is scheduled to be re-evaluated by the team doctor later this week.
There is no update on Etan Thomas, yet to play in any preseason games since straining his abdomen at the end of training camp.
Notes — Bobcats majority owner Robert L. Johnson, at one time a season-ticket holder at Wizards games, sat courtside last night. Johnson is the first black owner of a major professional sports franchise. The Washington Mystics’ Alana Beard sat two seats to his right. …
Charlotte rookie Emeka Okafor, the No.2 pick in the draft, was not injured but did not play last night. Okafor is having a solid preseason, averaging 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.
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