ATLiens

After four days off, the Washington Wizards were back at the Verizon Center Saturday night to take on the 21-14 Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta had earned a home victory the previous night against the Utah Jazz, and were looking for more success tonight in D.C.

Hawks rookie guard John Jenkins practices against player development instructor Nick Van Exel

Jenkins takes a shot over Van Exel

The Wizards lineup was bolstered tonight by the addition of star guard John Wall, who would make his season debut, after being out with a stress injury to his left kneecap he suffered in September.

Hawks guard Jeff Teague takes a jumper during warm-ups

Before the game, I was able to take a few pictures of Wall. He seemed comfortable shooting around, and it was pretty clear all eyes were on his return. I didn't arrive at the Verizon center until after 5 P.M. for tonight's game, so I had limited time to take my own pictures, but was fortunate enough to catch Wall, who's return was unquestionably the main topic of the evening.

Wizards guard John Wall practices free throws before making his season debut

After pumping out a solid 120 fan photos before the game even started, I felt comfortable with the pace I had set for myself. My goal for the night was to take 300 photos, which I was able to eclipse with considerable ease. It must have been about mid-way through the first quarter when I heard a loud roar from the crowd, so I peered into the seats from where I was working in the 200 level, to see a standing ovation for John Wall, who had just entered the game for the first time this season. Maybe help had finally arrived for the Washington Wizards.

There weren't a whole lot of Atlanta fans in attendance. It's my observation that the Hawks have a relatively small fan base outside of ATL. In fact, I can count on one finger the number of Atlanta fans that I saw, which is a slap in the face of the organization, because they've been consistently good for a few years, and currently sit in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. One thing I can say about the Hawks is that their jerseys are a little mundane, and even though they have players that could potentially put fans in the seats, such as Josh Smith and Al Horford, they could probably do a better job of marketing the team, especially to fans outside of their local market.

By the end of the game, I had taken almost 350 fan photos, which well exceeded my expectations for the night. I'm almost positive that if this game were on a weeknight, as opposed to a weekend, there would have been a much more diminutive crowd, but Saturday night games are always a decent draw, no matter what team happens to be in town.

Bradley Beal and A.J. Price led the Wizards to 103-93 win with 16 points a piece. Wall chipped in 14 points, playing 20 minutes off the bench in his return. Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 19 points, and Al Horford contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. The Wizards will host Orlando at the Verizon Center on Monday, before heading on a 5 game west-coast swing.

The First Game

Hawks guard Jeff Teague barrels into Wizards center Earl Barron

Wizards fans celebrate as Earl Barron ties the game on a short jumper

Not too long ago, I had been looking for a part time job on craigslist, and encountered what appeared to be the ultimate NBA fan's gig of fan photographer at Wizards home games. I immediately contacted the post, and was called back to photograph for the next night's game against the Lakers, which I declined, because I hadn't been feeling very well. So, I offered to do the game against the Atlanta Hawks on the following Tuesday. The weekend went by, and Tuesday finally arrived. Having just left my day job at around 4pm, I arrived at the Verizon Center in D.C. an hour and a half before game time. I must say, the first time going through the administrative entrance in an NBA arena was an unforgettable experience. I grew up a huge fan of the New York Knicks. In fact, I was obsessed. I used to sometimes fantasize about living in an NBA arena, in particular Madison Square Garden. I knew all the players by name, face, and by nationality. I knew what towns they were from, what schools they went to, and what numbers they wore. I was a solid player back in the day too, and I still am, but I was really more of a fan than anything. I rode emotional roller coasters following the Knicks. Growing up, I would go to school carrying the last night's game on my shoulders, as though it was me who had just played. Nothing made me happier than being inside Madison Square Garden, and feeling the energy. When I went to games, I would always get there at least an hour early to watch players shoot around. Occasionally, I would hunt for autographs, but that wasn't what drove my interest in being at the arena so early. It was really more the ambiance. Being in the arena early, and feeling the vibes was somehow deeply penetrating. I would watch my favorite players like Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, and Allan Houston take shots before the game. I could feel their focus, their drive. I would glance over at Spike Lee, who was always decked out in orange and blue, and catch a rush of enthusiasm for the game that was unrivaled from just seeing it on TV. So, when I got my camera, and set out around the Verizon Center, my first stop was the court-side seats. I hadn't been this close to the floor at an NBA game since I was a kid. Once again, I felt a rush of energy and focus that I hadn't felt in any other environment, even if it was the 3-20 Wizards. I watched Wizards guards Martell Webster and Bradley Beal shoot around, as assistant coach Sam Cassell was horsing around on the sidelines. I remembered watching Sam since I was a young kid, in particular during the 1994 NBA finals, when he played for the Rockets, who downed the Knicks in the 7 game championship series.  I suddenly felt young again, able to point out in my head all the players, all the coaches, and commentators. It reminded me of those moments growing up going to the Garden, and wanting to stand by the court until the game started, only to be sent back to the upper deck by security 5 minutes before the tip. And here I was, finally, after all these years, closer to the action than I'd ever been. My goal for the night was to take about 150 photos of fans. I came up just short of this goal, but was told later that one of my photos sold online for quite a bit of money, which gave me a great deal of satisfaction. I even had time to watch the last couple minutes of the surprisingly close game.  The Wizards wound up losing in overtime 100-95, despite Jordan Crawford's double-double of 27 points and 11 assists. Lou Williams led Atlanta in scoring with 24 points off the bench, while Josh Smith chipped in 17 points and 13 rebounds.  Former Wizard Deshawn Stevenson hit a crucial go-ahead three with just over 2 minutes left in overtime, putting the Hawks up for good.