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76ers-Wizards Preview

Dec 21, 2009 - 6:39 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Philadelphia (7-20) at Washington (8-17), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Following their most lopsided defeat of the season to close a rough road trip, the Washington Wizards return to the Verizon Center looking to avoid their first four-game home losing streak of 2009-10.

The Wizards host a Philadelphia 76ers team opening a six-game trip Tuesday night.

The Wizards (8-17) snapped a six-game skid with a 118-109 victory over Golden State on Friday, but went on to finish a 1-3 trip with a 121-95 loss to Phoenix on Saturday.

The defeat was Washington's worst since its last visit to Phoenix - a 128-96 loss March 21.

"It was like the last thing we wanted tonight was to be out there, as far as how we played," said Wizards coach Flip Saunders, whose team shot 36.4 percent from the field and trailed by as many as 33 in the third quarter. "It was extremely disappointing and pretty much unacceptable."

Washington has been more competitive at home, but still dropped its last three there by a combined five points. The Wizards have lost seven of eight overall.

In the 76ers' last visit to the nation's capital, the Wizards won 108-107 on Nov. 24 - just hours after team owner Abe Pollin died.

Gilbert Arenas had 17 points, eight assists and six turnovers for Washington in that contest.

Louis Williams led Philadelphia (7-20) with 26 points and hit four 3-pointers, but missed a 3 at the buzzer that would have given the 76ers their third straight victory at the Verizon Center.

Williams also broke his jaw in that matchup and missed the next 12 games. In his first game back after surgery, he scored six points off the bench in a 112-107 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Coming off a 98-97 victory at Boston on Friday, the 76ers were denied their first back-to-back wins since the end of October as Andre Iguodala's jumper at the end of regulation was waved off.

"We relied on the best player to make the play," said coach Eddie Jordan, who will make his second visit to the Verizon Center since being fired by Washington last season. "Unfortunately, it was about a tenth of a second too late."

Allen Iverson missed the last two games with arthritis in his left knee and won't play Tuesday. Jordan said the 34-year-old guard will be sidelined until at least Dec. 28.

Antawn Jamison averaged 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds in his last 10 games against Philadelphia, recording season highs of 32 and 14 on Nov. 24.

Caron Butler, who missed that game with a sore right ankle, scored 18.5 points per game with 7.0 boards on the Wizards' western trip.

Washington, which last dropped four in a row at home from Dec. 11-21 of last season, opens a three-game trip Wednesday against Milwaukee.