Written by Candace Buckner at Washington Post.com
During this road odyssey, the Washington Wizards have cemented themselves as the must-watch team in the NBA. They are a subplot that, on a nightly basis, scraps its original script on a whim for something a bit more daring and provocative. Scoring 131 points in Phoenix, then 123 more in the second night of a back-to-back in Denver wasn’t sexy enough. The Wizards had to upstage themselves by clawing out of double-digit deficits, forcing overtime and winning in dramatic fashion on consecutive nights in Sacramento and Portland.
The road has a way of revealing the NBA contenders from the chaff, and this five-game, seven-night trek through the Western Conference that ends Monday night in Minneapolis has illuminated the Wizards (41-24) like never before. The success sparked celebration, especially following the emotional 125-124 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers as players jumped around and threw water all over the locker room.
“No, Kelly was throwing water,” John Wall said. “The rock star!”
However veteran players like Jason Smith, who was so excited about the win he simply got dressed then chomped on a plate of BBQ ribs, slammed the brakes before the party bus spirals out of control.
“We have the possibility to be special. Nothing’s given when the playoffs start,” Smith said. “That’s a whole ‘nother animal.”
There are still many important basketball games to be played, and many miles ahead on the regular-season calendar. For now, let’s go deeper into this long and meandering trip.
The winding road of Markieff Morris
No Wizards player experienced the ebbs and flows of the road quite like Markieff Morris. To start things, he was booed while back in Phoenix. The next night in Denver, Morris kicked Myles Plumlee in his groin and had to be escorted off the court by the team’s head of security, Jackie Miles; fans should recognize him as the impeccable fashion plate seated behind the bench and the guy who wears an expression that says, ‘I could take on the whole arena if I had to.’
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