What a Night!

I was expecting five things to happen yesterday when the Washington Wizards faced against the Indiana Pacers last night.

First, for some background: Wizards were 10-40 (They had a one-in-five-chance of winning last night's game), while the second-to-last team in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers, were 20-31, TEN more wins than the woeful Wizards. On top of this, SF/SG Caron Butler was out with the flu for the past two games, so he was a GTD (Game-Time-Decision). Also, in the game before for both teams, Indiana All-Star SF Danny Granger scored 33 pts in a win against the Orlando Magic; while the Wizards were blown out in a 124-103 game against the Denver Nuggets, a game where the Nuggets held a 30+ point lead during the game.

Here were my top ten expectations:

1. Wizards would lose again (after all, they did have a 1:4 chance of winning the game)
2. The seats I had (Section 106, Row G) would be great not only b/c of the view, but also b/c of the 'clappers' I would get during the game, since the seats were right behind the hoop
3. Caron Butler and PF Antawn Jamison would combine for: 50 pts, 15 reb. and 8 asts.
4. I would be leaving midway through the fourth quarter, when the bench players would be playing major minutes, in another blowout loss.
5. The arena - Verizon Center - will be quiet throughout, with a crowd of 10,000

Here's how the game fared:



What a time to go to the game! With a crowd of 13,708 (i believe it's the biggest crowd this week), the Wizards gave every person their money's worth.
Let's go back to my expectations:
1. They actually won! i witnessed one of their 11 wins!
2. I didn't get any 'clappers', but I did get TWO buzzer-beaters - one by Jamison in the end of the third quarter and the MJ-like step-back fadeaway jumper by Butler to seal the deal.
3. Here is the Buter + Jamison combo stat line: 69 points (AJ: 34, CB: 35); 19 reb. (AJ: 6, CB: 13); 6 asts (3 by both players) ; and 3 steals. MUCH better than I predicted.
4. I stayed throughout the game, arriving 20 min. prior to the game, and dashing to the Metro after the fourth quarter buzzer sounded.
5. The crowd was 13,708, which was 3,708 more than I expected. The first half was quiet - just as I suspected - but was unusually LOUD in the second half! :)

I also got a nice laugh from the jumbotron. In the fourth quarter, during a timeout, PF Darius Songalia was asked several questions about which he would rather have (Recorded prior to the game), such as: Mustard vs. Ketchup (He chose Ketchup) and Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band (He wasn't fond of either). But what took the cake was this question: Which would you rather have: a Blonde or a Brunette?
His answer: "Both!"

Well, here is today's Video(s) of the Day. It is of Caron's last two buzzer-beaters. Better shots, but not as noteworthy as last night's bucket.





Impressed?