Fresh off a 28-point loss to the Detroit Pistons last night, the Wizards find themselves in a crucial situation tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Wizards enter the game just a game ahead of the Sixers in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With a win tonight, the Wizards would improve to 41-38 and would increase their lead to two games ahead of the Sixers with two games to go. Because Washington has a superior division record than Philly, the Wizards would be ensured that they would finish no worse than sixth place. But if the Wizards were to lose, they fall to sixth place because Philly would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. But the Wizards are 1-2 against the Sixers this season. And it was a 101-96 victory over Washington on Feb. 5 that turned Philly's season around. The Sixers have gone from lottery-bound squad to a playoff contender, going 21-9 since that victory over Washington.

Making matters difficult for the Wizards is the fact that they will have to go tonight without Caron Butler. Butler suffered a bruised knee in the second quarter last night's loss, but returned. He was in pretty bad shape, however, and it was the same knee he bruised earlier this week in practice. About 45 minutes ago, Butler tested out his knee on the practice court, but it's too bad for him to give it ago.

Shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson suffered a bruised tailbone in last night's loss, but he's still playing tonight although he said it's "as sore as ever." In the locker room before the game he pulled on a pair of spandex shorts that had thigh and hip and tailbone pads inserted in them. It looked like something a football player would wear. Then he pulled his game shorts over them. There's basically nothing that can keep D-Steve out of a game. He played half a season with a torn meniscus in his knee three seasons ago.

-- Mike Jones