Different night, same old story.

That was the frustration and the disappointment that filled the Wizards locker room following the latest fourth quarter debacle, leading to a 98-92 defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the post game locker room, forward Antawn Jamison was the last to leave, answering the latest barrage of questions about why the Wizards cannot finish games. Jamison, with disappointment in his voice, could offer few new answers.

"The toughest thing about it is we are in the game. It comes down to the last two or three minutes and not finding a way to get it done," Jamison said. "It's still early, I know I keep saying it, but we don't want to dig ourselves too deep a hole that its almost impossible to get out of. We played at home, we are in the games, but we just are not finding a way to get it done and executing down the stretch."

With the team struggling to find answers, there is one that nobody wants to talk about. This team doesn't want to make excuses for the young guys playing big minutes or the injuries, but imagine if this team had Agent Zero at this point, the $111 million man is being paid that much for a reason, he is a finisher. And that is exactly what this team is missing.

Battle of Young Centers
The former No.1 pick Greg Oden took on a 2008 first round pick Javale McGee in the paint and had some success against the Wizards' young big man. Oden was able to get McGee into foul trouble early and fouls plagued McGee throughout as he finished with four fouls. Oden finished with a double-double, 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"Oden played strong. He finished around the rim, dunked around the rim and blocked a couple shots," veteran guard Antonio Daniels said.

But the former Buckeye struggled against the other young big man the Wizards threw at him, Andray Blache who used his versatility to combat Oden's strength.

"Andray gave Oden problems because he was a miss match for him," Daniels said. "Andray did a great job stepping out on the floor and pulling Oden away from the rim. Knocking down some shots early and playing confident. For Andray to be as big as he is, he has lot of stuff with him."

Another Happy Homecoming
Before the game started, in the Trail Blazers' locker room one player was sorting out several game tickets, counting them out and putting them into envelops for his family and friends. Steve Blake, the former Terrapin who helped guide the team to a national title in 2002, was happy to have a bit of a home coming.

"Its great. I have always loved this area, to live here and play here. Its like a second home. The fan support I had here in college and when I played here my first two years, there is nothing better. I am excited to be back."

When the starting lineup was announced, Blake was revered and received a very warm welcome from the Verizon Center fans.

Blake looked like he was at home, scoring 15 points and dishing out five assists, and made key plays late in the game to slam the door on the Wizards. Blake drove the entire defense and scored a layup to spark a fourth quarter run. Then late in the game with the Blazers clinging to a 92-90 lead and under two minutes to play, he was fouled and sunk both free throws and the Wizards' hope.

Little Spain Comes Up Big
Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez had their own cheering section, which resembled a group of soccer fans, complete with the Spanish flag waving. The two Spaniards, who were top flight players in Spain, combined for 15 points, but Fernandez made the biggest play of the night. The Wizards just cut the deficit to 88-87 and made a great defensive stand, the only thing left was to grab a defensive rebound, but Fernandez made a clutch putback to pad the lead and dash hopes of a Wizards comeback.

"The play that really got us, is we did everything right, they shot a three, missed it and Rudy Fernandez comes in and tips it in," veteran guard Antonio Daniels said. "When you are playing out of rotation those are the kind of things you give up. When you are struggling as a team it seems like no breaks go your way. Those bounces always seem to go the other team's way. We have to fight through that."