It got a little hairy in the fourth quarter, but the Charlotte Bobcats dispatched the Washington Wizards with relative ease, 107-96.
It certainly wasn't because of the Cats' defense, as the Wiz shot 48% from the field and 60% from three. Rather, the Bobcats brought enough offense of their own, shooting 55% from the field, and took advantage of free throw and offensive rebound advantages to stay ahead.
Game thread comments, lowlights, and highlights after the jump.
GAME THREAD COMMENTS
PoAshton -- Listening to Bobcats Live before the game, I realized for the first time that the Bobcats have a magic number, 8. That makes me happy. (DA -- 7!)
PanthersFTW -- [Felton's] performance feels pretty much like a constant now. I barely notice him when glancing at the box score.
BAD
-- Tyrus Thomas. You're exactly the kind of power forward I love. However, you don't seem to want to be that kind of guy. Don't worry. I'll still love you if you take a lot fewer jumpers. Dunk more. Jam it. Make them block you at the rim. Because they can't. Otherwise, 2-9 from the field is going to happen a lot more often than you want.
GOOD
-- The one aspect of this season I've enjoyed most has been Gerald Wallace's step forward. He's combined all of the best attributes he displayed in previous seasons with a sense of perspective and control that's launched him squarely among the top thirty players in the game. This night, he scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting, with, for him, only 6 rebounds.
-- The next most enjoyable aspect of this season, for me, has been Raymond Felton's transformation from a borderline non-starter into the trustworthy floor general so many had wished him to be for so many years. Maybe it took adding a respected figure like Stephen Jackson for him to change his ways, but that mechanic is kind of beside the point for now. We can discuss it further come the offseason. Tonight, Felton scored 19 points on 8-10 shooting and passed out 11 assists.
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