CLEVELAND.
The Wizards earned a small measure of gut-wrenching payback by defeating the Cavaliers 88-87 in Game 5 last night.
Caron Butler converted an eight-foot bank shot with 3.9 seconds left after beating LeBron James off the dribble.
“Initially, LeBron backed up, and I was going to take a jump shot,” Butler said. “But I didn’t want to settle for that. I didn’t want to look back on the season and remember that I settled for a jump shot.”
The tough shot by Butler set James up to do what he has done so many times to the Wizards — to deliver salvation to his team on a last-second play.
James got his point-blank look at the basket, only this time the ball caromed off the rim as the buzzer sounded, and the Wizards lived to play in Game 6 tomorrow night.
Butler kidded with James before the last play, imploring him to miss the shot and bring the series back to the nation’s capital, if only to add intrigue.
“I just didn’t execute well in the last minute or so,” James said, noting the ball was mostly in his hands after Delonte West converted a three-point play that gave the Cavaliers an 87-82 lead with 1:47 left.
Tensions boiled over anew after Darius Songaila and James became entangled along the baseline in the first quarter. James appeared to be trying to hold Songaila’s arm in a scissors lock while driving to the basket.
Songaila took umbrage at this and pimp-smacked James across the face. James initially clutched his face in horror before gathering himself and letting the referees deal with Songaila.
This scene prompted outrage from the yellow-clad partisans in the stands.
After nearly two weeks’ worth of heated words and repeated incidents on the floor, the supporters of the Cavaliers have come to see the Wizards as a collection of outlaws whose mugs should be hanging in police stations all across America.
The referees assessed technical fouls to both Songaila and DeShawn Stevenson, who, understandably, was upset that James was claiming he could not feel his face after being pimp-slapped by Songaila.
Stevenson, of course, has made a habit out of not being able to feel his face after making a basket. He lets those in attendance know about his condition by furiously waving his right hand in front of his face.
Stevenson went into his celebratory actions after sinking two 3-pointers late in the first half.
The Wizards showed resiliency in the absence of Gilbert Arenas, who announced he was done for the season about 90 minutes before the opening jump.
This came as news to both the Washington, D.C., media and coach Eddie Jordan.
“Is that a shock to anyone?” Jordan said, accustomed to sometimes being the last to know on matters pertaining to Arenas.
The Wizards, without Arenas, reverted to who they were most of the regular season: a less formidable team but one more likely to stay within the confines of the offense and defense.
“I don’t know if the personality of the team changes with Gil being out of the lineup,” Jordan said. “I think we are a veteran team, have solid leadership and have adjusted to playing without Gil. It’s a delicate situation. He’s not the Gil we know. He won’t be that Gil until next October.”
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown sees a marked difference in the Arenas-less Wizards. He sees a team that no longer defers to their lead player.
“Their whole team seems to be more aggressive [without Arenas],” Brown said.
Whatever the case, the Wizards have postseason life and a reason to feel good about themselves.
“I think we’re going to play great at home [in Game 6],” Jordan said. “And then we will be back here for a Game 7 [Sunday].”
The Wizards rallied from an 87-82 deficit, scoring the last six points to win a game few outside their locker room thought possible.
When the last-second shot by James went awry, the Wizards rejoiced in jubilation.
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