Game Thread: Phoenix Suns at Washington Wizards

If you're looking for Pradamaster's answers to my questions, you can see them here.

Think back a month ago to when the Suns had a 15-game win streak on the line, they got stuck in a snowstorm in Denver, got to the arena with two hours to spare and then lost a close game to the Wizards?  Well, the story is a little different this time.  This time the Suns have only won 13 in a row.  And they got to Washington way earlier than two hours before the game.

Some people have said that getting to the arena two hours before the game isn't a good excuse for losing that close game.  I guess tonight we'll see.  The Phoenix Suns have only lost one game to an Eastern Conference team all year and it was to the Wizards.  The coach and players say that doesn't matter to them and they're not out for revenge.  But I would imagine the Suns players have something to prove tonight.

The question is whether having something to prove is enough to stop Gilbert Arenas from going off for 50 points again.  Teams know what they're getting when they play Arenas and the Wizards and yet they still haven't been able to stop him.  The lucky thing for the Suns is I don't really think of Arenas as a player who drives to the basket a lot.  He seems to make his money by making shots no one else would even thinking about shooting.  So Kurt Thomas missing probably won't affect the Suns' game plan against Arenas.

I expect the Suns to try and run the pants off the Wizards now that they are playing them while rested.  I wouldn't be surprised to see the Wizards keep up with the Suns for the first half but halfway through the third quarter we should see the Suns pull away.  If the Wizards can slow the Suns down for the first three quarters, then it's anyone's game.

Just because I don't think Gilbert Arenas should be considered for MVP - and I really don't think he should even be in the same paragraph as the Western Conference candidates - doesn't mean I think he can't take over a game when he wants to.

It should be a great game tonight.  Check out Bullets Forever to see what the Wizards fans are saying.