Wizards

The 19-year-old man charged with fatally stabbing Dennis Lane allegedly told investigators that his girlfriend had instructed him to kill her father and his fiancee, specifying the number of times each was to be stabbed in the throat - 10 for him and 15 for her. Jason Anthony Bulmer charging documents In a conversation at school hours before the Ellicott City blogger and businessman was killed, Jason Anthony Bulmer said, 14-year-old Morgan...

Colleges Terps ' Schwarzmann, Aust, Cummings receive year-end honors Synapse Sports honored three Maryland women's lacrosse players with annual awards: Katie Schwarzmann (Century) is Midfielder of the Year, Alex Aust is Attacker of the Year and Taylor Cummings (McDonogh) is Rookie of the Year. Other winners were Florida's Mikey Meagher (Goalie of the Year), Syracuse's Becca Block (Defender of the Year), Northwestern's Christy Turner (Unsung Hero of the Year)

Are things so bad for the Wizards that they need coaching help from fans? ESPN.com is carrying a contest that asks readers to submit a diagram of an inbounds play the Web site says the "Wizards will try to use during a game." The deadline for submissions is Dec. 23. • Mikhail Prokhorov's Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holdings and the development company that owns the Nets announced on Wednesday that they had completed their agreement to create a partnership for owning the NBA team and developing the Atlantic Yards project in New York City.

Lions and tigers and Oz movies, oh my! With the recent release of Disney's “Oz the Great and Powerful” and the expected release this year from Summertime Entertainment of the animated “Dorothy of Oz,” we think it's the perfect time to plan a birthday party down the yellow brick road. Click your heels three times, and follow us to Oz for step-by-step instructions on how to throw a DIY birthday party that will have your child and his or her guests over-the-rainbow. The Big Surprise Some of the best advice we can pass on for party planning is this: Always plan an element of surprise that no one will be able to stop talking about.

They could go with the mop-haired, trash-talking forward who left his homeland of the Czech Republic four years ago to play in a basketball-crazed nation and beamed with pride as fans serenaded him after his last game for his team. Or they could choose the shy big man from Lithuania who remains unsure about whether he will even play in the NBA next season as his agent attempts to negotiate a buyout agreement with his current team. They could go with the confident forward from Turkey who is good friends with John Wall.

Four players are scheduled to work out for the Wizards on Tuesday, the team announced today. Connecticut guard Jerome Dyson, West Virginia forward Devin Ebanks, Louisiana Tech forward-center Magnum Rolle and St. Francis (Pa.) guard Devin Sweetney are scheduled to participate. Dyson, who was born in Potomac, averaged 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a senior for the Huskies last season. Ebanks averaged 12 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Mountaineers as a sophomore.

Opponent:Cleveland Cavaliers Site:Gund Arena, Cleveland Time:7:30 TV/Radio:Ch. 50/WTEM (980 AM)

— John Wall was dribbling up the court at a frenetic pace, with defenders backpedaling helplessly and teammates gasping to catch up. Wall whirled the ball behind his back to juke Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague and open what appeared to be a clear lane to the basket. But as Wall elevated for a dunk, Hawks forward Josh Smith tracked him down, smashing his shot attempt and sending Wall crashing to the floor. Wall rolled on the ground, holding the back of his head and grimacing.

Long after what might have been his last - or second-to-last - practice as a member of the Washington Wizards, Jordan Crawford hardly looked like a man worried about his future or prepared to distance himself from his teammates. Engaged in a shooting contest with Bradley Beal, A.J. Price, Chris Singleton, Garrett Temple and Cartier Martin, Crawford giggled and talked trash as the players attempted long jumpers near center court. But as he headed to the locker room, Crawford blew past reporters, ignoring requests to speak to him, likely aware that the line of questioning would revolve around his diminished role and the possibility that he will be dealt by today's 3 p.m. trade deadline.

Will they make a deal? When Jordan Crawford was asked how he felt about not appearing in a series of games, the Wizards' reserve shooting guard replied, "I'm good. " But he let his frustrations known on Twitter by subtly mentioning his stats from December, when the Wizards were placed in his hands and he produced quality numbers but few wins. The Wizards' leading scorer before John Wall made his debut and Bradley Beal began to gain some confidence, Crawford has had his role steadily diminished in the past month — first, by a bone bruise in his left ankle and second, by some poor play — and now appears to be the odd man out. The Wizards are 6-2 in the past eight games that Crawford hasn't played, but he has attracted the attention of several teams around the league seeking some offensive punch off the bench.

A return for the Sonics Barry Stavro Los Angeles Times David Stern is ready to give whoever buys the Kings a get-out-of-jail-free card and bless a move to Seattle. With an inevitable change in zip codes coming, it's also time to ditch the Kings as a name. Truth is this franchise, in existence since 1949, has hardly been Kings-like. This will be its seventh straight losing season and it's been more than a decade since the team was a title contender. And after previous stops in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City, this franchise has only a single NBA title, back in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.

As John Wall ripped off his warm-ups and went from the Washington Wizards' bench to the scorers' table, a roar filled the Verizon Center . Wall received a standing ovation as he stepped onto the court for the first time this season - the first time since last April - because of a left-knee injury and commenced his third season with the organization he was drafted to lead back to respectability. After using the first three quarters to get his "jiggly" legs under him, Wall gave the Wizards and the fans a reminder of the speed, excitement and flash they've been missing in a 93-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Wizards @Heat Tonight, 6 TV: Comcast SportsNet The first time Washington Wizards rookie Bradley Beal attempted to embarrass an opponent with a thunderous jam, he got a painful lesson on the need to think before dunking. Beal picked the wrong target when he elevated for a throw-down on Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, one of the NBA's best leapers and shot blockers, and crashed on his backside after Smith stuffed the ball. Forced to sit out the next two games last month with a sore left back, Beal was a little more cautious about when to showcase his surprising hops.

John Wall upgraded from a Washington Wizards T-shirt to his No. 2 practice jersey Thursday, a significant development during a season in which his absence has contributed to expectations being downgraded from reaching the playoffs to simply escaping the NBA cellar. For the first time since a stress injury was diagnosed in his left patella in late September, Wall participated in limited-contact drills, sped up and down the court, and traded trash talk with his teammates after making baskets.

The Washington Wizards have decided to address their backcourt problems by signing a point guard who was cut last October for not being experienced enough to handle playmaking duties. If that sounds confusing, imagine being Shelvin Mack late Saturday night, when the same organization that drafted 34th overall in 2011 and waived him 16 months later called and asked him to come back to run the show. Mack had been tearing up the NBA Developmental League as a point guard for the Maine Red Claws, displaying the confidence and scoring ability that helped him lead Butler to back-to-back NCAA championship games and get selected in the second round two summers ago. He assumed some team would eventually call him back up to the big leagues, but he wasn't necessarily expecting a reunion to Washington.

Trail Blazers @Wizards Tonight, 7 TV: Comcast SportsNet Andray Blatche took just two shots in the Brooklyn Nets' 96-89 win over the rival New York Knicks on Monday night at Barclays Center. But on a night that should have been all about the first basketball borough battle, Blatche decided to take two bigger shots at his former team: the Washington Wizards, the organization that is paying him more than $7million of the nearly $8million he will earn this season.