Gilbert Arenas poured in 33 and overcame a career night from Willie Green, Allen Iverson's substitute.

Green's 32 points helped keep the game close until the last half of the final period when the Washington Wizards pulled away and pulled out their fourth straight victory.

The Wizards ended with a 20-9 run, winning 117-107.

The 76ers played without Iverson, the NBA's leading scorer, who has a strained left rotator cuff.

Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has activated guard Steve Blake and placed guard Larry Hughes on the injured list with a right thumb fracture.

Blake was placed on the injured list with a left ankle sprain on January 6. In his second season, Blake has played in eight games with one start, averaging 2.9 points and 1.4 assists in 11.4 minutes.

Hughes fractured his right thumb in the fourth quarter of the Wizards? 108-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on January 15.

The Washington Wizards? Larry Hughes and the Houston Rockets? Tracy McGrady today were named the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, January 10 through Sunday, January 16.

Hughes led his team to a perfect 3-0 week averaging 23.7 points on .426 shooting, 7.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 3.67 steals.  He tallied 11 steals over three games and scored 20 points in the second half (11 points in the fourth quarter) for the Washington win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

McGrady guided the Rockets to a 3-0 week with victories over Dallas, New Jersey and San Antonio.  He led his team in scoring with 25.3 ppg on .431 shooting, assists with 7.3 apg and steals with 3.0 spg.  He tops the league in minutes, averaging 45.3 mpg.  On January 12, he tied his season-highs with 11 assists and six, three-point shots at Dallas.

The Washington Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the Wizards star guard Larry Hughes will miss 4-6 weeks after fracturing his right thumb in the fourth quarter of the Wizards? 108-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns Saturday night.

?I am very disappointed that this happened, but I have full confidence that my teammates will play well while I?m out,? said Hughes. ?I look forward to getting back as soon as possible.?

In his seventh season, Hughes is second on the team and 18th in the league in scoring, averaging 21.2 points per game. Hughes leads the league in steals with 2.82 per game and is also averaging 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 34 games this season.  He has been an integral part in this year?s Wizards turnaround playing alongside teammate Gilbert Arenas, making up what many say to be the best backcourt in the NBA.
 
?It is very unfortunate that an injury like this occurred,? said Grunfeld. ?Larry has been playing extremely well, but I am confident that his teammates will step up in his absence.?

?Larry is having an exceptional year and this is a difficult loss for our team,? said Head Coach Eddie Jordan. ?We certainly feel for Larry, who has played a big part in our team?s success. We have confidence in our team to overcome a setback like this.?

In an amazing statistic the Washington Wizards bench outscored their Phoenix Suns couterparts 30-0 as the Wizards sent the previously surging Suns to their third straight defeat.

Concerns about the Suns depth has been a key talking point in recent weeks despite the team's recent success, but without point guard Steve Nash, who missed the game through injury, the Suns' lack of bench was exposed more than expected.

Starters Quentin Richardson, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa combined for 209 of the possible 240 minutes of court time, with all but Barbosa playing over 40 minutes.  Every starter finished in double figures, with three of the five scoring greater than 20 points.

"We don't have Steve Nash. It's a completely different story out there when you've got your court leader," said Quentin Richardson, who scored 25 points. "But at the same time, we were still in position to win the game. We just had a bad stretch and that was tough."

Gilbert Arenas scored seven of his season-high 40 points in the final 2:19 of the game to lead the Wizards to their fourth consecutive victory, 117-114 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

The Wizards avenged a 109-74 loss they suffered on Dec. 26th to the Wizards.

"We had to get them back," Arenas said. "We didn't get them as bad as they got us, but a win is a win."

Upon spraining his left ankle a few days ago, Steve Blake had to be helped from the court in 112-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets.

"He's going to be out for a while, I think," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "What is a while? At least a week to a week and a half. It could be three weeks."

Larry Hughes matched his season high, scoring 33 points and the Wizards closed out a 112-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night with an 18-0 spurt.

"It was just a game of spurts," New Jersey's Vince Carter said. "They started off the game well and had the run. Then it was back and forth, back and forth. At the end of the game they made their run and kept running. They got it going tonight, especially late."

Carter scored 31 points for the Nets.

Juan Dixon was scoreless through 3 quarters of play on Sunday versus the Hawks, but he went on a 4th quarter tear, scoring 15 points, helping the Wizards beat Atlanta by a score of 104-101.

The win improved the Wizards record to 16-13.

"It's tough sitting there on the bench, but you have to stay prepared and be in the right mind-set," said Dixon. "You never know when your number is going to be called. I cheered the guys on in the first half, then I had to go out there and be aggressive and make plays."

"Juan played great," Larry Hughes said. "He came in aggressive and took good shots. He definitely was the difference."