Mo Pete’s ridiculous buzzer-beating shot to end the fourth quarter and send the game into OT was enough to give the Raptors the boost they need in OT as the Wizards fell 118-123 Friday night at Verizon Center.

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Gilbert Arenas scored a team-high 34 points to lead the Wizards, who fought back from a double-digit deficit to take a second-half lead. DeShawn Stevenson (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Antawn Jamison (16 points, 10 rebounds) each added a double-double while Caron Butler chipped in with 17 points and seven boards.

“I did not see it clearly, only that we got a deflection or a steal and Michael Ruffin tried to get rid of the ball, thinking that while it was in the air the time would run out,” said Coach Eddie Jordan after the game.

“He also was probably thinking that he did not want to get fouled and stop the clock, which is a fairly smart thing to think. They got the ball and made a miraculous shot; it was not even a real jump shot, it was a throw, it goes in, and you prepare for overtime.”

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Notes Courtesy of BAS

The Wizards will host the Toronto Raptors tonight at Verizon Center on Comcast SportsNet and WTEM 980 at 7:00 pm.

Tonight’s game marks the fourth and final meeting between the Wizards and Raptors this season. Toronto was victorious in the first two meetings this season in Canada, before Washington defeated Toronto at Verizon Center in the last match-up on March 6.

* The Wizards have won six consecutive games against Toronto at Verizon Center, having last lost to Toronto at home on March 4, 2003 during the 2002-03 NBA season. Washington and Toronto enter play tonight with the all-time series knotted at 22-22.

* Washington’s 129-109 victory against Toronto earlier this month featured the Wizards’ highest scoring output in a non-overtime game this season. In that game, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison (25 points apiece) led six Wizards players in double figures in scoring. The Wizards connected on 45-of-88 field goal attempts (.511) in that game, and are now 14-1 this season when shooting .500+ from the field.

* The Wizards are 24-16 to date vs. Eastern Conference opponents, and 16-4 this season vs. Eastern Conference opposition at Verizon Center. Additionally, the Wizards enter tonight’s game with a 26-9 home record to date in 2006-07. Among all Eastern Conference teams, only the Chicago Bulls have a better home record (27-9) this season.

* If the season ended today, the fourth-seeded Wizards would meet the fifth-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The Wizards are currently 0.5 games ahead of the Miami Heat in the Southeast Division, marking the first time that the Wizards have been in first place in the division this late in the season since the 1978-79 season.

* Washington (38-32) can overtake Toronto (39-22) for the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a win tonight.

Ian Thomsen just wrote a piece on Wizards VP of Basketball Administration Tommy Sheppard. A great read for anyone who wants to read about the team’s front office structure, and how you don’t have to be a former coach/NBA player to make it to the top.

Thanks for the link WizDom!