http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18248-2004Dec22.html
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Showing His Old Form, Webber Sinks Wizards
Kings 104, Wizards 93
By Michael Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Page D01
SACRAMENTO, Dec. 21 -- When the Washington Wizards last saw Chris Webber in March, he looked like a hobbled, aging, fading star. Forward Kwame Brown torched him for career highs of 30 points and 19 rebounds, and the Wizards emerged victorious as Webber limped off the floor at MCI Center.
On Tuesday night, Webber welcomed his former team to Arco Arena by looking more like his former self. The 31-year-old Kings forward scored 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists as Sacramento beat the Washington Wizards, 104-93.
Webber punctuated the victory late in the fourth quarter when he caught the ball at the top the key, blew past Brown and flushed a one-handed reverse dunk to give the Kings an 11-point lead. Then Webber, who has come back from a major knee injury, strutted down the court, proclaiming that this was his house.
"You just can't come off an injury like he had and perform at a high level immediately," Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said. "It takes time for your body to heal. I think he's coming along. He's the hub for them."
The Wizards (14-10) failed in their attempt to win a West Coast swing for the first time since December 2001, but they came away from their four-game trip with a 2-2 record. The last time they won at least half of their games on a West Coast trip was March 2002, when they went 3-3.
"I'm very proud of my team," Jordan said. "We competed at a very high level."
The Wizards were coming off an emotional 103-101 win in Golden State that guard Gilbert Arenas sealed with a driving bucket eight-tenths of a second before the buzzer. After the shot, Arenas celebrated the victory against his former team with a dance at center court. On Tuesday, Arenas led the Wizards with 22 points and almost pulled out some heroics again in the fourth quarter.
Arenas hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, he sank a fall-away jumper and after a Larry Hughes steal, Arenas set up in the left corner and drained another three-pointer to bring the Wizards within 89-85 with 6 minutes 44 seconds left in regulation.
The Wizards would get no closer than four points in the fourth quarter as the Kings (17-7) improved to 78-7 at home against Eastern Conference teams since 1999 (8-0 this season). The Wizards haven't won in Sacramento since Dec. 16, 1996 -- when Jordan was an assistant coach with the Kings and Webber played for the Washington Bullets.
Forward Antawn Jamison scored 20 points, Hughes had 19 points and Brendan Haywood added 11 for the Wizards, who fell behind by 14 and played uphill from there. The Wizards are 3-2 on the road against Western Conference teams this season, losing in Phoenix and Sacramento. They will have four days off before they play in Minnesota on Sunday.
Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and made 5 of 9 three-pointers. Mike Bibby scored 24 points for the Kings, who have won 16 of their past 19 and were playing the third game of a five-game homestand.
The Wizards led 25-24 when Jamison hit a layup with 1:14 left in the first period, but Webber sank a 15-foot jumper as the Kings scored the next 15 points. Stojakovic got in the act when he nailed three consecutive three-pointers in less than a minute.
Stojakovic hit a three-pointer with 26 seconds left in the period. Then Hughes shot an air ball on the other end, Brad Miller caught it and threw the ball to Stojakovic, who knocked down another three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give the Kings a 32-25 lead after one quarter. Stojakovic hit another three-pointer to start the second period and the Wizards didn't score again until Jarvis Hayes sank a jumper to cut the deficit to 39-27.
Webber missed the Kings' previous game against New Orleans because of soreness in his left knee, but the former Wizard made his presence felt early, scoring eight first-quarter points. Webber hit his first bucket when he drove the baseline, dipped under the basket and hit a reverse layup with his left hand. Webber executed a similar move later in the period with his right hand.
He then flashed some leaping ability in the third quarter when elevated for a two-handed dunk, then caught an alley-oop pass for another dunk, capping the slam with a pull-up on the rim. "He has games like this," Hughes said. "He's still an all-star. He may have lost his athleticism, but he still has his skills and knowledge of the game."
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Showing His Old Form, Webber Sinks Wizards
Kings 104, Wizards 93
By Michael Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Page D01
SACRAMENTO, Dec. 21 -- When the Washington Wizards last saw Chris Webber in March, he looked like a hobbled, aging, fading star. Forward Kwame Brown torched him for career highs of 30 points and 19 rebounds, and the Wizards emerged victorious as Webber limped off the floor at MCI Center.
On Tuesday night, Webber welcomed his former team to Arco Arena by looking more like his former self. The 31-year-old Kings forward scored 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists as Sacramento beat the Washington Wizards, 104-93.
Webber punctuated the victory late in the fourth quarter when he caught the ball at the top the key, blew past Brown and flushed a one-handed reverse dunk to give the Kings an 11-point lead. Then Webber, who has come back from a major knee injury, strutted down the court, proclaiming that this was his house.
"You just can't come off an injury like he had and perform at a high level immediately," Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said. "It takes time for your body to heal. I think he's coming along. He's the hub for them."
The Wizards (14-10) failed in their attempt to win a West Coast swing for the first time since December 2001, but they came away from their four-game trip with a 2-2 record. The last time they won at least half of their games on a West Coast trip was March 2002, when they went 3-3.
"I'm very proud of my team," Jordan said. "We competed at a very high level."
The Wizards were coming off an emotional 103-101 win in Golden State that guard Gilbert Arenas sealed with a driving bucket eight-tenths of a second before the buzzer. After the shot, Arenas celebrated the victory against his former team with a dance at center court. On Tuesday, Arenas led the Wizards with 22 points and almost pulled out some heroics again in the fourth quarter.
Arenas hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, he sank a fall-away jumper and after a Larry Hughes steal, Arenas set up in the left corner and drained another three-pointer to bring the Wizards within 89-85 with 6 minutes 44 seconds left in regulation.
The Wizards would get no closer than four points in the fourth quarter as the Kings (17-7) improved to 78-7 at home against Eastern Conference teams since 1999 (8-0 this season). The Wizards haven't won in Sacramento since Dec. 16, 1996 -- when Jordan was an assistant coach with the Kings and Webber played for the Washington Bullets.
Forward Antawn Jamison scored 20 points, Hughes had 19 points and Brendan Haywood added 11 for the Wizards, who fell behind by 14 and played uphill from there. The Wizards are 3-2 on the road against Western Conference teams this season, losing in Phoenix and Sacramento. They will have four days off before they play in Minnesota on Sunday.
Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and made 5 of 9 three-pointers. Mike Bibby scored 24 points for the Kings, who have won 16 of their past 19 and were playing the third game of a five-game homestand.
The Wizards led 25-24 when Jamison hit a layup with 1:14 left in the first period, but Webber sank a 15-foot jumper as the Kings scored the next 15 points. Stojakovic got in the act when he nailed three consecutive three-pointers in less than a minute.
Stojakovic hit a three-pointer with 26 seconds left in the period. Then Hughes shot an air ball on the other end, Brad Miller caught it and threw the ball to Stojakovic, who knocked down another three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give the Kings a 32-25 lead after one quarter. Stojakovic hit another three-pointer to start the second period and the Wizards didn't score again until Jarvis Hayes sank a jumper to cut the deficit to 39-27.
Webber missed the Kings' previous game against New Orleans because of soreness in his left knee, but the former Wizard made his presence felt early, scoring eight first-quarter points. Webber hit his first bucket when he drove the baseline, dipped under the basket and hit a reverse layup with his left hand. Webber executed a similar move later in the period with his right hand.
He then flashed some leaping ability in the third quarter when elevated for a two-handed dunk, then caught an alley-oop pass for another dunk, capping the slam with a pull-up on the rim. "He has games like this," Hughes said. "He's still an all-star. He may have lost his athleticism, but he still has his skills and knowledge of the game."
