The Washington Wizards will continue their tradition of playing at home on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when they take on the Utah Jazz today at the Verizon Center. The game will begin at 1 p.m.
Despite being a poor team recently, the Wizards have experienced a lot of success on MLK Day. They have won four of their last five MLK Day games, including three wins over eventual playoff teams. Last season, they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 97-92, and have beaten Dallas, Philadelphia and these Utah Jazz over the past five years. The win over the Jazz, which took place in 2007, was especially memorable. Gilbert Arenas reached what might have been the apex of his local popularity, scoring 51 points and hitting a game-winning three-pointer to give the Wizards a 114-111 win.
This season, the Jazz are 27-13, and are in their customary position in the middle of the deep Western Conference. They lost Carlos Boozer over the summer, but haven't missed a beat with Al Jefferson. The Wizards will have their hands full dealing with Jefferson, Paul Millsap and, of course, Deron Williams.