Open Thread: Game 10

Regular Season Game 10
Wizards (4-5) vs. Mavericks (6-4)
American Airlines Center
8:30
CSN and NBA League Pass

The Wizards embark on a crucial three game road trip against the Texas twosome of Dallas and Houston in the next two days and Memphis on Friday. Combined with the home game against Detroit on Saturday, and this 4-games-in-5-days stretch is potentially brutal. It seems odd to say it, but this may be the Wizards best chance to get a win, even if Dallas has won six games in a row.

Mavericks Blogs: Mavs Moneyball, who says the following on this game.

The Mavs will have to play a lot better than they did yesterday to beat the Wizards tonight. Not only is Washington significantly better than the Bobcats, they had the day off yesterday and Gilbert Arenas is coming off a 45 point game. If Devin Harris and Greg Buckner, who will probably have the job of guarding Agent Zero, look as tired as Anthony Johnson did last night the Mavs are in trouble. But if they win, it will be their 7th in a row and their fourth in five nights. They'll officially be back (they're back already, but I don't think it's official yet) with a win tonight.

I'm with Wes on this analysis. Dallas did not look good last night in their win over Charlotte, and now they have to travel halfway across the country to play a Wizards team that is coming off a big win and two full days of rest. The Mavericks guards looked hobbled last night with the exception of Devin Harris, and unless Dallas decides to put a big wing like Greg Bucker on Arenas, they should struggle to defend him. If there is any night that Arenas can break out of his road funk, it's tonight.

Of course, there are still two problems that remain. First, who do you put on Dirk Nowitzki. San Antonio had success a couple years ago with Bruce Bowen, but Dirk has learned to take that player down on the block and shoot over him. Antwan Jamison, as an anonymous commenter said, "could not guard a locked door," so he's probably not an option. That may leave the Wizards with no choice but to play Etan and Haywood together, which hurts the offense's output. The other option is to have Butler guard Dirk, but then Dirk will just shoot over him. It's a dilema, for sure.

The other is that Erick Dampier has been a monster recently. The Wizards pride themselves on attacking the rim, but with Dampier down there, it may be more difficult. If he has a big game, the Wizards are just going to be the same jump-shooting team they are always accused to being, and that's not going to bode well.

Still, I think Dallas will be tired and the Wizards will have enough to get a road win before getting spanked in Houston tomorrow night.

Prediction: Wizards 106, Mavericks 96

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