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Wizards eye season-series win vs. Celtics

Apr 9, 2008 - 2:53 PM Boston (62-15) at Washington (40-37) 7:00 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The Washington Wizards think they can stand among the NBA's elite teams when fully healthy. On Wednesday, they may get a chance to prove it.

The Wizards attempt to win the season series from the Boston Celtics when the teams meet for the fourth and final time Wednesday.

Key injuries, particularly the 66-game absence of Gilbert Arenas, have held Washington back all season long.

But despite the injuries, the Wizards currently stand in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, two games behind fourth-place Cleveland (42-35) and one game ahead of sixth-place Philadelphia (39-38).

Arenas has returned for two games but missed the Wizards' latest victory, a 99-87 triumph over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Just as Arenas returned, Antawn Jamison sprained his right shoulder in Tuesday's a 110-109 loss to Milwaukee.

Both players are expected back for Wednesday, which would mark just the second time since November that Arenas, Jamison and All-Star Caron Butler all appeared in the lineup in the same game.

That may come as bad news to the Celtics, who have dropped two of three games this season to the shorthanded Wizards. Boston has won seven straight despite resting many of its starters.