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Arenas continues stellar play as Wizards rout Grizzlies

Dec 27, 2006 - 6:38 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Gilbert Arenas continued to show why he is one of the NBA's top talents.

Arenas scored 31 points and Antawn Jamison added 26 as the Washington Wizards used a high-powered attack to rout the Memphis Grizzlies, 116-101, for their ninth win in 11 games.

Caron Butler had 19 points and six assists for the Wizards, who raced to a 77-51 halftime advantage.

"Everyone was playing unselfish basketball," Jamison said. "We weren't forcing anything; we took what the defense gave us. They gave us jump shots and we took good jump shots."

A two-time All-Star, Arenas has topped the 30-point plateau 10 times this month, including 60 and 54-point efforts. Entering the contest, he ranked third in the NBA in scoring at 30.1 points per game.

Arenas failed to meet with the media.

"Gilbert, like any great scorer in the league, whether you want it to be Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James) or whoever else you are talking about, Gilbert is in the same class as those people," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said.

"Gilbert is a guy who has been extremely aggressive and he has the right to be," Grizzlies guard Chucky Atkins said. "This guy is one of the toughest guys in the league to guard, one. Secondly, he has been on fire of late, 60, 30, 54 (points). He continued his streak."

On Tuesday, Arenas shot 9-of-13 from the floor, 10-of-10 from the line and dished out seven assists. Jamison was 10-of-19 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

Rookie Alexander Johnson collected season highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who shot 47 percent (33-of-71) en route to their sixth straight road loss.

"(Washington is) playing well," Fratello said. "They have a lot of people that can score. The ball moves. If they keep growing as they have over the last three weeks, they are going to be a team to be reckoned with here in the Eastern Conference.