Catch up quick on the news, notes and must-see from Wednesday's Bucks Vs. Wizards action -- good and bad -- with 'Postive Pixels, Wicked Pixels.' It's your morning-after Wizards hangover cure.
Jordan Crawford just (all but) dagger'd Milwaukee's playoff chances with a contested 27-footer on a bum ankle. There's no evidence these late-season games will mean much next year, but credit the Wizards — winners of four of their last six — for finding motivation in the final weeks of the season. Let's look at the notes from the Wizards 121-112 win.
Positive Pixels
• Jordan Crawford scored 32 points on a hobbled ankle. But the best part was that he did it on 11-of-17 shooting. Crawford hurt his ankle vs. Chicago, and was noticeably limping when I walked out of the tunnel behind him at halftime. Crawford hit the biggest shot of the game, a three-pointer with 51.9 seconds left that extended Washington's lead to 115-109. Randy Wittman joked about it after the game: "Maybe it was a good thing that his ankle was hurting because he didn't try to put his head down and drive and get into trouble. He just launched it. That was a big shot, no question."
• Nene returned to action after missing 10 games with plantar fasciitis. From an outside perspective, there seemed like so reason for Nene to come back this season with nothing left for the Wizards to play for. But it seemed to mean a lot to his teammates that Washington's starting center made the decision to play. Nene wants to be a part of the team in Washington, which is definitely something. Besides, they have hologram technology now.
"Oh, it was a real boost. It was even bigger 'cause nobody knew he was playing," Crawford said. "I mean, he been dressing for the past three, four games or something like that, and nobody knew he was playing. For him to check in, it was big."
(Aside: A funny moment after the game, when Nene thank reporters and walked out of the locker room after answering several questions. Kevin Seraphin heckled him about how Nene is the only Wizard who gets to decide for himself when his media sessions end. See, still much to be learned from the 10-year vet even this late in the lost season.)
• Mo Almond sank his first NBA basket in three years. Just a cool moment for the Wizards latest D-League call-up.
Wicked Pixels
• Monta Ellis gave the Wizards hell, 31 points on 14-25 shooting style. The Bucks ran ball screens for Ellis and he picked apart Washington's defense, even tossing in six assists when he couldn't find space for his own shot. Hey, the Wizards won so no reason to dwell on it, but if Washington had blown another double-digit lead, Ellis likely would have had his finger prints all over the evidence.
• Hate to be a downer, but these games don't *really* matter ... Kevin Seraphin called it the Wizards preseason for next year. Some other Wizards called it their playoffs. Wittman just said Washington wants to cause teams some "grief." Whatever it is, it'll be more fun in the future when the Wizards games in April mean more than a showcase for next season.
For more on the Washington Wizards, visit SB Nation's Wizards blog Bullets Forever. For more on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit SB Nation's Bucks blog Brew Hoop.