The Washington Wizards have been able to pull within 2-1 in their playoff series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers despite getting very little production from star scorer Gilbert Arenas.
The 26-year-old Arenas has averaged 22.8 points per game in his NBA career, and he's widely recognized as one of the best pure scorers in basketball. There isn't a shot he can't make, proving especially lethal from beyond the three-point arch. Sadly, Washington fans were deprived of seeing their hero for much of the season, as Arenas missed all but 13 games while recovering from a left knee injury.
Arenas returned to action on April 2, appearing in five games before the end of the season. Unable to handle a full workload, Arenas was used as a reserve, coming off the bench to provide an emotional spark. His best effort since rejoining the team was a 109-93 win over Philadelphia on April 12, as he dropped 20 points on the Sixers.
In the first two games of the Cleveland series, Arenas again came off the bench. He scored 24 points in 27:47 of action in Game One, although it wasn't enough to get the win. In Game Two, Arenas managed just seven points in 23:52 during the 30-point defeat.
Trailing 0-2 in the series, Washington coach Eddie Jordan inserted Arenas into the starting lineup for Game Three. Unfortunately, he suffered a bone bruise on his left knee just 10 minutes into the contest, forcing him to leave the game. The outcome of the series could depend on how effective Arenas can be over the final four games.
