Monday night’s solid win against the Dallas Mavericks, halting one of the league’s best teams’ hot twelve game winning streak, ought to give the Wizards a jolt of confidence as they head tonight to Madison Square Garden to face off against the hapless New York Knicks. Should, but likely won’t, for the simple reason that the game won’t be played in Washington, D.C. Not that MSG is a particularly intimidating venue these days — the…

The George Washington University’s most recognizable basketball player of the last four years, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks yesterday. Known for his thunderous dunks and an affable personality, “The Mayor” played in the Las Vegas and Salt Lake City summer leagues. Though he was not initially expected to make the Mavericks’ deep roster, Pops’ play impressed team president Donnie Nelson enough that he cited Pops as “the most athletic…

The Washington Wizards went out on a limb and selected two Eastern Europeans in last night’s draft. As basketball continues to become a more international sport, teams have been more willing to use draft picks on relatively unproven talents overseas. With the 18th pick overall, the Wizards selected forward Oleksiy Pecherov, a 7-foot Ukranian. It was the first time that they had used a first round pick on an international player. With their second pick,…

This photo was posted to DCist photos on Flickr by Justin Johnson of digital obscura. It will be clear becoming cloudy with highs in the low 70s today. Retired Veterans Sue Rumsfeld: Some of the residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home have filed a class action lawsuit against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, alleging he has made illegal cuts in medical and dental services at the home, the Examiner reports. Shopping Rage in Montgomery…

With the date fast approaching, the massive fundraising effort now underway to pay for President Bush’s lavish $40 million inaugural festivities has been generating some controversy. (The photo is from the official inaugural website) The Post reported today that three individuals and 11 corporations have each donated $250,000 to the inauguration committee, and they have raised a total of $18, about half the total amount they plan on needing. The full list of donors is…