The Washington Wizards played the Philadelphia 76ers in a neighborhood that was torched during the 1968 riots.

Now it's an area known for shops, restaurants, shows and sports. There's a street called "Abe Pollin Way" and a state-of-the-art arena known as the Verizon Center, all legacies of the man who risked his fortune on a project that would revitalize a troubled part of town.

Tuesday night's scene was just as Pollin would have liked it, right down to the Wizards' 108-107 victory, which came hours after he died at the age of 85.

The only thing missing was Pollin himself. No longer will he be making the rounds in the locker room to congratulate the players he treated like sons.

"After wins, knowing you won't hear that voice saying 'Good job, men,' and 'I believe in you,'" forward Antawn Jamison said. "It's going to be tough."

Pollin was the NBA's patriarch, an old-school owner who won a championship in 1978 and later had the mettle to stand up to Michael Jordan. He introduced luxury boxes and the large replay screen to big-time professional sports. He used to have 3-point shooting contests with Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld.

"I just lost a real, real good friend," said Unseld, star of the 1978 title team who later became the team's coach and then general manager. "And I think it's more than any of you will understand or I could even explain. It's just going to be a big void in sports in this community."

A moment of silence was held before Tuesday's game, and the Wizards played with saddened hearts. They had learned of Pollin's death late in the afternoon. No details were disclosed, but he suffered for years from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance.

"The NBA family has lost its most revered member, whose stewardship of the Wizards franchise, together with his wife Irene, has been a study in unparalleled dedication to the city of Washington," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "During his illness he fought with a determination and valor that will remain an inspiration to all."

With Pollin's death, a group led by longtime AOL executive Ted Leonsis is poised to take ownership of a Washington-area sports empire that began when Pollin purchased the Baltimore Bullets in 1964.

Leonsis previously bought two of Pollin's teams _ the NHL's Capitals in 1999 and the WNBA's Mystics in 2005 _ and secured the right of first refusal to buy the rest of Pollin's Washington Sports and Entertainment holdings _ including the Wizards, Verizon Center and Washington-Baltimore TicketMaster _ when Pollin retired or died.

"We are committed to continuing his tradition of building exciting, championship-caliber teams," Leonsis said in a statement.