Written by DCist contributor Matthew Yglesias

Wizards fans in the Verizon Center for last Sunday’s overtime loss to the Nets could smell victory as the Nets were forced to try and in-bound the ball facing a three-point deficit with only 2.7 seconds remaining on the regulation clock. Odor turned to palpable taste as guard Vince Carter launched a long shot on a short-arced trajectory that couldn’t possibly fall in. And, indeed, the shot slammed into back of the rim at a low angle that seemed all-but-destined to send the ball flying out, giving the Wiz a solid 4-2 start to the season.

Instead of the expected clang, however, Carter’s shot emitted only a dull thud before bouncing in, a consequence of the new ball the NBA is using this season which offers more forgiving bounces off the rim and backboard. Even Carter himself concedes that the league’s classic leather ball wouldn’t have fallen through the hoop under the circumstances. But the synthetic era has arrived, and Washington lost focus in overtime going down to a 105-93 defeat that didn’t do justice to the tight conclusion.

DC area basketball fans are no strangers to close losses. Eddie Jordan’s team saw its season end after losing a six game playoff series to the Cleveland Cavaliers in which they managed to outscore their opponents over the course of the run only to be eliminated due to a series of heartbreaking razor-thin losses. Nor were difficulties down the stretch unique to the playoffs, as the team went a disappointing 10-18 in games decided by six points or fewer during the 2005-2006 regular season.