Happening Elsewhere: Career High for Smith in New Orelans, Wiz Lose 25th Straight on Road

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You remember Jason Smith, right? It hasn't been that long since the seven-foot center with the 90210 looks was a Liberty Baller, traded along with Willie Green in the off-season to the Hornets for Darius Songaila and Craig Brackins. Though neither Songaila nor Brackins has been of much use to the Sixers this season, none of us have exactly sweated the trade much, since getting rid of Green and Smith seemed like necessary flotsam jettisoning, and neither has exactly lit it up themselves in New Orleans. 

Until last night, anyway. Starting for injured center Emeka Okafor, J-Smooth connected on his first nine field goal attempts (including the emphatic, if not exactly jaw-dropping, two in the above clip), breaking his previous career high of 14 points about halfway through the first quarter. Smith ended with 20 points in the Hornets' 97-89 victory over the Wizards in New Orleans. 

"It was a special game, a career night for me," said Smith of his stellar performance. "I just went out there and tried to play aggressive like [Okafor] would. Wereally need him back healthy, but in the meantime we have a lot of guysthat are willing to step up." Among those others stepping up would include our ol' buddy Slick Willie, who scored 11 points on 5-7 shooting, with four rebounds and three steals also to his credit off the bench. 

Outside of the career night for the career backup big, the story of last night's game would have to be the Wizards' continued road woes, which are beginning to verge on the downright historic. Not the worst team in the NBA by any means this season, the Wizards have nonetheless been an absolute black hole away from DC, playing 25 road games thusfar this season and winning nary a one of them. The Wiz are now only four games away from tying the ignominious record of the '92-'93 Mavericks, who began the year 0-29 away from home, for the worst road start to a season in NBA history.

It's just been that kind of NBA season--where even a game between two horribly mismatched and disparate ballclubs can still make for compelling drama with all the subplots, inspiring or depressing, contained within. 

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