CHICAGO -- It had the feel of mission impossible.

There were the Wizards, already without Gilbert Arenas (who still appears a ways off from making his second comeback from knee surgery this season) and Caron Butler (whose day-to-day status because of a hip injury has now lasted almost a month) AND DeShawn Stevenson -- the hero of Monday's buzzer-beating stunner over New Orleans, who got ejected with 59 seconds left in the first half at Chicago for dropping consecutive F-bombs when questioning a non-call.

Oh, and they were down 52-34.

What team can climb out of a hole like that without its top two scorers and it's starting shooting guard?

The Wizards did it thanks greatly to their previously nameless faces, who are now starting to build rather solid reps for themselves.

Roger Mason Jr. entered this season with a career average of 4.7 points a game, but has steadily gained confidence and proved his worth when called upon during the Wizards' injury-plagued season. In eight games this season as a starter while filling in for Antonio Daniels, who had missed time with knee and ankle injuries, Mason averaged 17.6 points.

With Daniels back on the floor, Mason has returned to being the team's sixth or seventh option off the bench. But with Stevenson forced to watch the second half from the locker room, Mason heard his number called again.

He answered scoring all 17 of his points in the second half. Eight of them were among the Wizards' first 12 points.

The Quiet Assassin, as Eddie Jordan has begun to describe Mason, is playing on a one-year, $770,610 contract, and if he keeps up like this, he'll find himself inking a handsome deal this summer.

Darius Songaila had started only one game this season and is averaging 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.8 minutes a night. Who would've thought he would have stepped into the starting lineup and posted 14 points and four assists? Songaila, playing in his second season with Washington, had scored a season-high 19 points in a one-point loss to Cleveland eight days ago. He said lately he has stepped up his conditioning work and it looks like it's paying off.

And Andray Blatche also stepped up last night. The third-year big man had been solid in his first handful of games as a starter for Butler, averaging 16.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. His production has dropped after the All-Star break and Jordan decided -- beginning last night -- to go with a veteran in Songaila as his starter at forward.

That lit a fire inside of Blatche, who tried to be as diplomatic as possible and hide his disappointment after the game. But that frustration proved to be a good thing as Blatche channeled it for 17 points and 10 rebounds against Chicago.

The Wizards can't replace Gil and Caron, but contributions like those Mason, Songaila and Blatche turned in last night were huge and crucial as the Wizards fight to hold onto -- and possibly improve upon -- that sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. Hopefully they can keep it up.

- Mike Jones