ducks
05-09-2005, 09:49 PM
Wizards out to do something no team has ever done: Rally on Shaq
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
May 9, 2005
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AP - May 9, 5:07 pm EDT
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MIAMI (AP) -- Gilbert Arenas knows all the numbers indicate his season will end soon.
His Washington Wizards have lost nine straight games to Miami, have won in South Florida just twice in the last seven years and -- even though the Heat were far from perfect -- are coming off a 105-86 loss to them in Sunday's opener of the teams' Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The series resumes Tuesday night.
And if they faced long odds in this series against the East's No. 1 seed, dropping the first game made the Wizards' upset bid seem more improbable. Shaquille O'Neal has a perfect playoff record when his team wins Game 1 -- 23-0.
Still, Arenas and his teammates aren't making tee times quite yet.
``We've been underdogs the whole year,'' Arenas said Monday after the Wizards' practice. ``That's nothing new for us. We've just got to go out there and just play. Truthfully, there's only one Superman and that's Shaq. Usually you say there's no Superman out there, but there is one out there this time.''
Superman remained silent Monday; O'Neal did not speak with reporters for the second consecutive day, walking straight from the practice court to the locker room after the Heat's defense-oriented workout.
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Washington connected on only 36.8 percent of its shots in Game 1, misfiring on 12 of its 16 attempts from 3-point range. Yet Heat coach Stan Van Gundy wasn't happy, indicating that the poor shooting was more a matter of the Wizards missing good chances instead of any swarming defensive clampdown.
``I did not think that we did a very good job defensively and I didn't think we were quite as organized against their changing defenses as we could be,'' Van Gundy said. ``I think we'll be much better tomorrow.''
Washington hopes it can say the same.
Among the Wizards' constants this season has been a knack for digging out of trouble, a penchant for resiliency.
They lost seven of 10 games to end December, then opened January with a seven-game winning streak. They closed the regular season with six losses in 10 games and dropped the first two playoff matchups with Chicago before winning four straight to oust the Bulls and reach the second round against Miami.
``This team has never faltered on confidence,'' said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, 0-12 in his career against Miami. ``We've got some big, confident guys.''
There were positives Washington extracted from the Game 1 loss, notably how it got to the foul line 36 times, forced 12 first-half turnovers and weathered an early Miami run. The Heat led by 17 points in the second quarter, before the Wizards cranked up the defensive intensity and trimmed the deficit to two by halftime.
But Miami closed the third quarter with a 14-3 surge, turned a possibly precarious seven-point lead into an 18-point cushion and cruised from there -- even without a big game from O'Neal. He scored 19 points before fouling out after playing 26 minutes, the second-fewest in his 163 postseason games.
Photo
AP - May 9, 5:07 pm EDT
More Photos
Van Gundy said there are ways for O'Neal to avoid foul problems, and added that he thought at least one of the foul calls -- an offensive foul with 8:16 left -- was relatively bogus.
``I thought Brendan Haywood did a great job flopping on that one,'' Van Gundy said. ``He was actually on his side, he wasn't even in front of him. He was beat, so he took a chance and he got it.''
The Wizards aren't expecting O'Neal to be as quiet on Tuesday.
And the Heat hope for more from Shaq.
``Sometimes he comes into the next game more determined, but he's the kind of player who doesn't show his frustration to us that much,'' said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who had 15 of his 20 points after halftime Sunday. ``He still wants to come in and do everything team-oriented and not really worry about himself.''
There's no worrying going on among the Wizards, either -- at least, not outwardly.
``We've been down this road before,'' said Arenas, who scored 25 points Sunday. ``I think the best part about it is we're just happy to be in the playoffs. Since we're here, we might as well go out fighting.''
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
May 9, 2005
Photo
AP - May 9, 5:07 pm EDT
More Photos
MIAMI (AP) -- Gilbert Arenas knows all the numbers indicate his season will end soon.
His Washington Wizards have lost nine straight games to Miami, have won in South Florida just twice in the last seven years and -- even though the Heat were far from perfect -- are coming off a 105-86 loss to them in Sunday's opener of the teams' Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The series resumes Tuesday night.
And if they faced long odds in this series against the East's No. 1 seed, dropping the first game made the Wizards' upset bid seem more improbable. Shaquille O'Neal has a perfect playoff record when his team wins Game 1 -- 23-0.
Still, Arenas and his teammates aren't making tee times quite yet.
``We've been underdogs the whole year,'' Arenas said Monday after the Wizards' practice. ``That's nothing new for us. We've just got to go out there and just play. Truthfully, there's only one Superman and that's Shaq. Usually you say there's no Superman out there, but there is one out there this time.''
Superman remained silent Monday; O'Neal did not speak with reporters for the second consecutive day, walking straight from the practice court to the locker room after the Heat's defense-oriented workout.
ADVERTISEMENT
Washington connected on only 36.8 percent of its shots in Game 1, misfiring on 12 of its 16 attempts from 3-point range. Yet Heat coach Stan Van Gundy wasn't happy, indicating that the poor shooting was more a matter of the Wizards missing good chances instead of any swarming defensive clampdown.
``I did not think that we did a very good job defensively and I didn't think we were quite as organized against their changing defenses as we could be,'' Van Gundy said. ``I think we'll be much better tomorrow.''
Washington hopes it can say the same.
Among the Wizards' constants this season has been a knack for digging out of trouble, a penchant for resiliency.
They lost seven of 10 games to end December, then opened January with a seven-game winning streak. They closed the regular season with six losses in 10 games and dropped the first two playoff matchups with Chicago before winning four straight to oust the Bulls and reach the second round against Miami.
``This team has never faltered on confidence,'' said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, 0-12 in his career against Miami. ``We've got some big, confident guys.''
There were positives Washington extracted from the Game 1 loss, notably how it got to the foul line 36 times, forced 12 first-half turnovers and weathered an early Miami run. The Heat led by 17 points in the second quarter, before the Wizards cranked up the defensive intensity and trimmed the deficit to two by halftime.
But Miami closed the third quarter with a 14-3 surge, turned a possibly precarious seven-point lead into an 18-point cushion and cruised from there -- even without a big game from O'Neal. He scored 19 points before fouling out after playing 26 minutes, the second-fewest in his 163 postseason games.
Photo
AP - May 9, 5:07 pm EDT
More Photos
Van Gundy said there are ways for O'Neal to avoid foul problems, and added that he thought at least one of the foul calls -- an offensive foul with 8:16 left -- was relatively bogus.
``I thought Brendan Haywood did a great job flopping on that one,'' Van Gundy said. ``He was actually on his side, he wasn't even in front of him. He was beat, so he took a chance and he got it.''
The Wizards aren't expecting O'Neal to be as quiet on Tuesday.
And the Heat hope for more from Shaq.
``Sometimes he comes into the next game more determined, but he's the kind of player who doesn't show his frustration to us that much,'' said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who had 15 of his 20 points after halftime Sunday. ``He still wants to come in and do everything team-oriented and not really worry about himself.''
There's no worrying going on among the Wizards, either -- at least, not outwardly.
``We've been down this road before,'' said Arenas, who scored 25 points Sunday. ``I think the best part about it is we're just happy to be in the playoffs. Since we're here, we might as well go out fighting.''