Antawn Jamison News

Back on the practice court just 12 hours after losing their third straight game, the Washington Wizards were noticeably relaxed during their morning shootaround Friday, with players saying their first priority was to fix the lapses in concentration that doomed them in the second quarter Thursday against Boston.

'It was a game to let you know how good we're capable of being. It also was a game to let us know how hard and how good we have to play to be a special team in this league,' forward Caron Butler said of the 104-102 loss to the Celtics. 'It was just a reminder in a lot of ways. We learned a lot of things last night about ourselves and how hard we have to compete on both ends of the floor, so I thought it was great.'

Rajon Rondo poured in 21 points and dished out 11 assists, as the red-hot Boston Celtics won their ninth straight game with a 104-102 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The anticipation of getting Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler healthy at the same time has far exceeded what they have been able to accomplish so far this season. They have impressive individual resumes, seven combined all-star game appearances and reputations for clutch performances, but the Washington Wizards are still waiting for them to form a potent trio that is capable of consistently leading the team to wins.

The Wizards are 4-5 in the nine games that Arenas, Jamison and Butler have played together this season; they're 3-7 when one or more has been out. The threesome will combine to make more than $37 million this season, nearly 48 percent of the payroll. But the player who has been most dependable in the fourth quarter is Earl Boykins, a 5-foot-5 player on a non-guaranteed contract worth about $1.2 million.

When the Washington Wizards grab a defensive rebound, Coach Flip Saunders usually starts winding his arm, encouraging his team to push the ball up the floor and get a rebound. But it often is a wasted motion, as he watches Gilbert Arenas survey the court and slowly dribble up the court to set up the next play.

Saunders addressed that problem Tuesday, as the Wizards (7-12) hope to change their fortunes by changing the tempo. Saunders said his team needs to run more.

'We haven't had as much of a thrust with the ball,' Saunders said. 'We want [Arenas]to be aggressive with the ball, whether it's scoring or distributing, but we cannot walk the ball up the court. That's something we've really been trying to work on, from the beginning of training camp. If there is a miss, we shouldn't be in any sort of set play. We haven't done as a good a job as we need to.'

Abe Pollin motivated players with submarine sandwiches and mink stoles, ladled food for the less fortunate, and celebrated victories and contemplated losses over chocolate frozen yogurt with his wife Irene.

I didna TMt watch the Wizards-Pistons game last night, because I was under the impression that the Phoenix Suns of the East would be able to get it in gear against an undermanned Pistons squad.

If this tune sounds familiar, it's because it is. The record is broken, the CD is scatched.

The Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards 106-103 the last time the teams played, but that was a different Wizards team than the on the Pistons will host today.

There were several reasons why the Washington Wizards had no business defeating the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

They sleepwalked through the first period, falling behind by 15 points before realizing that they were in an actual competition. They shot 36.8 percent for the game, with starters Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood struggling to hit much of anything the whole night.

And, instead of attacking a team that has no interior defense presence, the Wizards settled for a season-high 29 three-point attempts, missing 19.

When the Washington Wizards signed Earl Boykins three weeks ago, they were depleted at the point guard position and simply needed to fill a hole. But after the team got off to a ragged start this season, Boykins is actually helping to make the team whole.

The Wizards are 5-4 since Boykins joined the team on a non-guaranteed contract on Nov. 11. And, as they prepare to face the Toronto Raptors on Friday at Verizon Center, the Wizards (7-10) have won four of their past five games and appear to be turning a corner with the 5-foot-5 Boykins running the show in the fourth quarter in three of those victories. His most triumphant performance came during their 104-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, when Boykins scored 11 points in the final 10 minutes, including the game-winning free throws with one second remaining.

The Washington Wizards have proven themselves to be inconsistent in the early going of the 2009-2010 season.

Earl Boykins scored 11 of his 13 points in the final 10 minutes, including the winning free throws with a second left, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 104-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

A lack of scoring from Gilbert Arenas is starting to become a concern for the Washington Wizards .

I had so much footage of people talking about the passing of Mr. Pollin that I ended up with two videos.

The past week of Wizards' soap operettas could have perhaps easily been avoided if the players who were throwing bombs at anonymous teammates would have just been more specific.

Awful shot selection? Effortless defense? Hidden agendas? No, the main thing on Washingtona TMs itinerary during their 94-84 road win over Miami was winning basketball.

As important as forwards Antawn Jamison and Gerald Wallace are, new additions to the backcourt may be what get the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Bobcats out of the Southeast Division cellar.

The Miami Heat try to continue their recent mastery of the Washington Wizards this evening when the Southeast Division foes square off at AmericanAirlines Arena.

It turns out that Lou Williams is expected to miss eight weeks with a fractured jaw he suffered during Tuesday's loss to the Wizards.

For the first time, the Washington Wizards arrived for a morning practice and Abe Pollin was not the owner of the team. Emotions still ran deep less than 24 hours after the franchise lost its patriarch and backbone, the man whose indomitable passion and love for his team kept him in constant belief that a second NBA championship was within his grasp.

Pollin didn't live to embrace another trophy, but before he died Tuesday, little more than a week before his 86th birthday, he left a lasting impression on his city and the people he touched, especially his players. After practice on Wednesday, Caron Butler said that Pollin's death from a rare neurological disorder could serve as a rallying point and help the team put aside petty locker room spats.