Washington Wizards: What Game 6 Means To Me

Washington Wizards players and coaches have talked all season about how much homecourt means to the team. They have a chance to truly show what that means on Friday night in Game 6. Yet, as fans doubt must certainly be creeping into our minds. Not from any current doings, but years of heartbreak.

Game 6. Ah. Most NBA fans would cherish a Game 6 at home when trailing in a 3-2 series. The last home game in the series. A chance to force a Game 7. But Wizards fans know long and hard the pain of an elimination Game 6 at home.

There was 2006 when Gilbert Arenas hit what had to be a 35 footer to force overtime, only to miss two free throws while up one at the end of the extra period. This led to a game winner from Damon Jones with less than five seconds left. This in a series where the Cavs had already stolen Game 3, on the storied “crab dribble“.

There was 2008, when for the third straight postseason, the Wizards were matched up with Cleveland and the mighty force that was LeBron James. One season removed from the Cavs trip to the NBA Finals, fans knew Washington would be lucky to win two games, yet they managed to win Games 3 and 5.

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Gilbert Arenas played four games in the series, but still was not his prior self, one year removed from his career devastating knee injury.

In a rap battle between Jay-Z and Soulja Boy, the Wizards were stuck with Mr. “Crank Dat”, an accurate comparison to the on the court matchup.

Of course we can’t forget the current generation’s misgivings in Game 6. 2014 saw Washington fall behind 3-1 before smacking Indiana in Indy. That performance gave renewed hope to the team as they headed home for Game 6.

Instead the Wizards came out flat, being eliminated in a game where the Pacers’ best player Paul George scored only 12 points.

The most recent heartbreak came in 2015, as the Wizards managed to be tied at 2-2 with the #1 seeded Atlanta Hawks, although John Wall missed three of the first four games with a broken hand and wrist.

The next two games ended in an Al Horford Game Winning layup and a Paul Pierce three pointer that appeared to send a Game 6 at home to overtime. Instead, it was ruled the shot was released too late, and fans felt the exact opposite emotions in a minute long stretch.

This heartbreak is why local sports media personalities like Rachel Nichols can open their shows talking about expecting the worst. Until we see the best, it’s all we have to expect.

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So it’s okay as a fan to be worried and nervous. Fans of 14 of the 16 teams in the playoffs feel or have felt the same way. That’s part of why the playoffs are great, and why we hate when the team misses out.

If you have free time today, call your nearest Rockets fan. Houston had the same opportunity on Thursday night as Washington does tonight. The team responded by losing by 39 points to a Spurs team that didn’t even have Kawhi Leonard. This spawned countless memes of their best player and MVP candidate.

The Rockets were a 55-win team, that should have won Game 5 on the road. The Wizards are a 49-win team that should have won Game 2 on the road.

Houston came out in Game 6 with no energy, and looked utterly uninterested in playing. The Wizards had a similar seeming approach to Game 5, albeit on the road. I mean look at the graphic below…

This is the worst such win percentage in NBA postseason history. (min. 5 games) pic.twitter.com/eTH2d21U1W
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 12, 2017

As fan of the Wizards, and DC Sports in general, we all know what the team is up against. The Curse of Les Boulez, the #SoWizards way of life, and the fact that none of the “Major 4” DC teams has made the conference finals since 1998. That’s the longest streak in the country.

Cities with one team have managed to beat out the Wizards foursome many times over the years. If you’re not in touch, ask your nearest Capitals’ fan how his/her week is going.

Inspiring Confidence

This 2016-2017 Wizards team has something about it that does inspire confidence though. The 49 regular season wins were the most many fans have seen in their lifetime, myself included.

They have a superstar player, who when rolling affects the game in so many ways. Paired with a young and All-Star caliber shooting guard, the duo have shown they can combine for 70+ points in a closeout playoff game.

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They’ve got muscle and toughness up front, and a sharpshooting hustle player on the wing. The bench, while inconsistent, tends to show up at home.

They have a new head coach who has been to the conference finals in four of his six seasons reaching the playoffs.

We may not have a player to “call game”, but we have his understudies, and great ones at that.

The players have told the media all season that when clicking they can’t be beat. They’ve come back from huge deficits, beaten the best teams, and won 17 straight games at home. Game 6 will make the fans nervous, but it should bring out the best in the players.

Players talk all the time about how much Game 7’s mean. It’s the only chance they have at a true “Any Given Sunday” approach. But to get to 7, they got to win 6.

Next: Wizards: @Jensrules at TD Garden for Game 5

The history of the franchise may tell us a pattern, but this team is so much different. I’m excited to start a new chapter in the history of this team, and excited to see my first Game 7 as a Wizards fan.