Jacksonville, FL—
In a place that always seems to have games that don’t belong to a team from that city, tonight Jacksonville had a chance to see the Wizards take on the New Orleans Pelicans in their second pre-season game of the season.
Prior to the game the Wizards got a little bit of bad news prior to the game today that will affect the team for their October 29th opener in Miami. After losing Forward Kris Humphries to a laceration between the ring and pinkie fingers on his right hand suffered in the Bulls game, the NBA announced today Nene and DeJuan Blair were suspended one game for leaving the bench area following an altercation between teammate Paul Pierce and Bulls center Joakim Noah during Monday’s game at Chicago, the league announced on Wednesday.
Per the league, “the suspensions will be served during the first regular season game for which each player is eligible and physically able to play.”
“We will focus on getting everyone ready. It is unfortunate we have to start the season with two really good players out, but we have to remember that is just one game, we have 81 more to go, said Wizards Head Coach Randy Wittman prior to the match-up tonight.
Tonight the Wizards were led by John Wall who finished with 14 points, but it was the bench behind Otto Porter’s 12 points and Kevin Seraphin’s 11 points.
Washington didn’t really take control of this game until the 1:37 mark of the 4th quarter when Otto Porter grabbed a defensive rebound keying a Kevin Seraphin lay-up giving the Wizards a 90-86 victory.
Shooting guard Eric Gordon led the Pelicans with 15 points, Ryan Anderson had 14 and Anthony Davis finished with 11.
It’s the second consecutive year, the Pelicans (1-1) are playing in Jacksonville, Fla., for a preseason game. Also, the game is a homecoming for Pelicans rookie forward Patric Young, who is a Jacksonville, Fla., native and former college standout for the Florida Gators. Jacksonville was also the last site where Young and the Wizards Otto Porter faced each other on the same court in a game that was cancelled in 2012 on the NAS JAX Aircraft carrier because of court condensation.
