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Arenas' buzzer-beater helps Wizards down Sonics

Mar 22, 2007 - 6:23 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Gilbert Arenas showed a flair for the dramatic in leading the Washington Wizards to a crucial victory.

Arenas scored 42 points including the game-winner with no time left on the clock as the Wizards posted a 108-106 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.

Antawn Jamison had 21 points and seven rebounds and Andray Blatche added 12 and seven as well for Washington (37-29), which regained sole possesion of first place from Miami (37-30) in the Southeast Division. The Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 91-83 earlier Wednesday.

However the night belonged to Arenas, who scored 10 in the first quarter, eight in the second, 12 in the third and another dozen in the fourth for his ninth 40-plus point game of the season.

"It's just concentration," Arenas said. "Some nights you feel it and some nights you don't."

He shot 13-of-24 from the field, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range while handing out seven assists.

"The guy is unbelievable," Jamison said. "I have been with him since day one and to see the type of player he is right now attests to his work ethic.

"Every time you take the court with him you have a great opportunity to win games. The scary thing is the he's just scratching the surface and learning how to play the game."

After Rashard Lewis tied the contest at 106-106 with 10 seconds to play by making two free throws, Arenas took the inbounds pass and raced up the court, before hesitating and driving the lane with Sonics guard Earl Watson hawking him.

"I told my teammates that if Lewis makes his free throws let me take it up court so I can get a running start and get the ball back," Arenas said. "I held the ball to see if they were going to double and they didn't.

The three-time All-Star was bumped several times, but was able to lay the ball up over the outstretched arm of Chris Wilcox before it banked off the glass and through the hoop as time expired.

"Earl reached and I just drove it as hard as I could and hopefully I could get the foul or get it up with a chance to go in," Arenas added. "A little bit of both went on, but but I'll take the basket."

Wilcox scored 27 points and grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds for Seattle, which has lost six of its last seven games.

"This loss is terrible," Wilcox said. "I'd rather get blown out than lose at the buzzer. It's rough for us right now but I think we did a great job with the effort tonight and we came to play."

Lewis had 26 points - 10 in the final quarter - and 10 rebounds and Watson added 15 points off the bench for the Sonics, who outrebounded the Wizards 55-35, but shot only 41 percent (37-of-91).