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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michael Jordan called his Washington Wizards a
disgrace. The rest of the league calls them a good chance to pad
the win column.
The Charlotte Hornets took their turn Friday night, running the
Wizards' losing streak to nine games by taking control in the
second quarter and cruising to a 103-89 victory.
"We knew they were on the brink of setting some kind of record
for losses in a row," Charlotte coach Paul Silas said. "The main
concern was to come in with the attitude that we had to try to
dominate."
David Wesley scored 25 points and Jamal Mashburn had 21 for the
Hornets, who have won 11 of 14. The game had a familiar pattern:
The visitors got a little bit of a lead, then watched the Wizards
lose their discipline and composure.
"Tonight was the game I was most disappointed about because we
had a specific game plan that we just did not complete,"
Washington coach Leonard Hamilton said. "Those types of mental
errors are not acceptable."
The Wizards matched the fourth-longest losing streak in
franchise history, and the schedule puts the record of 13 well
within reach: Their next five games are on the West Coast.
Little wonder that Jordan, who become president of basketball
operations in January and predicted a .500 record this season,
called his team "a disgrace to the fans in Washington" in an
interview in Friday's Chicago Sun-Times. He added that the players
are "totally scared" and that it is "embarrassing to sit there
and watch the game."
"Scared? That's a tough word," point guard Rod Strickland
said. "He's assessing it from a distance. He's come to the games,
and he's seen some things. So I don't know how to answer that, but
I don't see it."
A 19-4 run in the second quarter gave the Hornets a 49-32 lead,
and defensive lapses by the Wizards led to alley-oops on
back-to-back possessions a couple of minutes later.
An 11-0 run -- which included a 3-pointer, a baseline jumper and
a fast-break layup by Wesley -- made it 70-49 in the third. The
Wizards lost all semblance of offensive strategy during that
stretch, with Strickland making three consecutive fruitless drives
to the lane without running a play.
"When you get up on them, it does take the air of teams like
that," Wesley said. "When you've got that rhythm of losing, it's
hard to get out of it. It's almost like, 'Here it is again.' That's
why it's so important to get them out of it and not let them get
their heads up."
Gerard King had 17 points and Juwan Howard 15 for the Wizards,
although it was Howard's usual feast-early, famine-late
performance. He was 5-for-7 with 11 points in the first quarter,
and 1-for-4 with just four points the rest of the way.
Strickland shot 1-for-9 and scored just nine points. Hamilton
kept Howard and Strickland on the bench the entire fourth quarter.
Mashburn added seven rebounds and eight assists for the Hornets,
who shot 48 percent.
"There are certain teams that we really want to look to, and
this was one of them," Silas said. "We really want to keep this
thing going. Everything is clicking pretty good right now."
Game
notes
The Wizards are 4-19. The worst start in franchise history
is 4-21, by the 1966-67 Baltimore Bullets. ... The Hornets are one
of the few teams to lose to the Wizards this season, losing 95-77
at home Nov. 1. The Hornets broke a three-game road losing streak.
... The Wizards were whistled three times for illegal defense.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
Jordan says intact Bulls would still be champions
RECAPS
Cleveland 103
Indiana 95
Dallas 112
Philadelphia 94
Charlotte 103
Washington 89
Sacramento 104
Boston 81
Utah 89
New York 58
Minnesota 99
Detroit 90
Atlanta 85
Chicago 74
Milwaukee 104
Toronto 97
LA Clippers 98
Phoenix 88
Portland 106
Orlando 96
Seattle 99
Miami 81
LA Lakers 98
Vancouver 76
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Baron Davis Official Site
Juwan Howard Official Site
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