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Knicks-Wizards Preview

Feb 26, 2010 - 2:44 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

New York (19-37) at Washington (20-35), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New York Knicks and Washington Wizards have already faced off twice in the last four weeks, but each team will have a significantly different look for Friday night's clash.

The Wizards have shown some improvement with a younger lineup, but the revamped Knicks will be trying to snap their longest losing streak of the season as they visit the Verizon Center.

Each team won at home when Washington and New York met twice in five days between Jan. 30 and Feb. 3, but several contributors from those games have since been shipped elsewhere.

The Wizards (20-35) jettisoned their veteran core of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood before last week's trade deadline as they look toward the future, with emerging forward Andray Blatche and newcomer Al Thornton among the players taking on bigger roles.

Blatche is averaging 24.8 points and 9.8 rebounds and shooting 58.0 percent while Washington has won three of its last five, although his 24 points could not prevent a 99-94 loss to Memphis on Wednesday.

"I've accepted that role," Blatche told the NBA's official Web site. "We are all accepting our roles. We are young and we've got young legs. So we're going to go out and play hard every night. We've got to give the effort. You do that and anything can happen."

A pair of the players Washington got in its trades won't play for the Wizards again this season. Josh Howard tore his left ACL earlier this week and is out for the season, and the Wizards bought out the contract of veteran center Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Thursday before he even made his debut with the team.

Nate Robinson, Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill were among the players the Knicks dealt last week, moves that give the team more financial flexibility this summer.

New York (19-37) got Tracy McGrady from Houston as the former All-Star tries to salvage the end of an injury-filled season. He's averaging 15.7 points in three games with the Knicks but was held to six in a 110-106 loss to Boston on Tuesday. He missed a 3-pointer in the final minute that would have tied the game.

"Even when I took that shot, I wasn't confident in taking it," said McGrady, who has been limited to nine games this season following knee surgery.

"I'm just trying to get my timing and rhythm back," he added.

Knicks center David Lee had 28 points and 15 rebounds against the Celtics, and newcomer Sergio Rodriguez added 18 points and six assists in his second start with the Knicks, but the team struggled again defensively in its eighth straight defeat.

Knicks opponents are averaging 111.5 points and shooting 50.4 percent from the field during the skid.

"It's hard, just losing," said reserve guard Eddie House, who was acquired from the Celtics last Thursday after helping Boston to the 2008 NBA title. "That's the hard thing. I'm not used to losing. I haven't been on a losing team in quite a long time."

The last time the Knicks dropped nine in a row, from March 19-April 4, 2006, the ninth loss was a 105-90 defeat at Washington.