SPORTS INSIDER – Wizards Outlast Kings 94-83; Capitals Shutout Devils in 3-0 Victory
February 10, 2014
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
After two disappointing losses, including a heart-breaker against the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-33) Friday, the Wizards finally picked up a win Sunday night. Despite a late game rally by the hapless Sacramento Kings, Washington was able to hold on for a 94-83 victory. The win places the Wizards back at .500 (25-25) and third place in the Southeast Division.
Though getting to .500 seemed to be a goal for some Washington players, coach Randy Wittman doesn’t want them to stop there. “I don’t want them to be satisfied,” he said. “We’re back at .500. We’re better than .500. I want them to believe that. They believe that.”
Washington shooting guard Martell Webster definitely agrees. He told reporters that though he was happy his team won, he wasn’t pleased with their performance. “I don’t think we played a great game,” Webster said. “That’s a team we should’ve won by 30 points. No offense, but they’re just going through a lot of stuff over there; the team is not connected. To let them get back in the game, you can’t allow that to happen.”
Despite the Kings’ poor record (17-34), Washington had been unable to beat them so far this season, losing their previous three meetings including two at Verizon Center. After leading 57-45 at halftime, the Wizards led by as much as 17-points in the second half. But a late 14-2 run by the Kings cut the deficit to five with just seven minutes left to play. Despite their strong start, it looked like history was set on repeating itself.
In the end, strong performances by Nene, who scored a team high of 18 points, as well as Marcin Gortat (17 points, eight rebounds) and Bradley Beal (16 points) swayed the game in Washington’s favor, as did 18 Sacramento turnovers, which Washington converted into 26 points.
Though Washington was able to reach the .500 mark in their last home game before the All-Star break, they face two tough opponents on the road before the weekend–the Memphis Grizzlies (27-23) and the Houston Rockets (34-17). Despite the tough schedule, the Wizards seem to have the right mentality.
“I don’t care about .500,” Nene told reporters after Sunday’s victory. “We need everything we can. That’s the mentality. If you’re going to think small like that, it’s fine, just stop right there. If you want to go for the gold, the championship, make the team better, you need to think forward.”
Capitals
In their final game before the Olympic break, the Capitals came out on top.
The game was a scoreless wasteland until Julien Brouillette scored midway through the third period. It was Brouillette’s first NHL goal, and ignited Washington’s offense. Near the end of the period Martin Erat and Troy Brouwer scored within 40 seconds of each other to give the Capitals a 3-0 shutout victory.
Brouillette played for seven years with minor league teams before signing a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals last spring. Though it was obviously a monumental occasion for him, he shifted the focus to his teammates. “The guys put together a win, and it’s awesome,” the 27-year old Quebec native said. “It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight.”
The win was definitely a team effort, with goalie Braden Holtby recording 25 saves on the night. With the victory, Washington improved to 63 points, just one point away from a playoff spot. That’s good news for Washington, which hit a rough patch in late January. But after snapping a two-game losing streak, they have won three of their last four and seemed poised to make a playoff run.
They will now get two weeks to rest during the Olympic hiatus, with regular play resuming on February 27th. But not everyone will get a break. Five Capitals (Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, Nicklas Backstrom, Marcus Johansson and Marty Erat) are all invited to Sochi to play on the men’s U.S. Olympic ice hockey team.
The men’s tournament begins on Wednesday, with U.S. team making their first appearance on Thursday.
