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MILWAUKEE -- Washington won't win any style points for its 118-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, but Wizards head coach Randy Wittman will deal with that later. "It's better to be 2-0 and still have some things to work on," Wittman said.
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The Wizards remain undefeated early in this 2015-16 NBA season thanks to a late rally fueled by guards Bradley Beal and Ramon Sessions, who combined for six 3-pointers and 25 points in the final quarter as Washington erased a 10-point deficit.
Beal hit 4 of 5 from beyond the arc while Sessions hit both of his attempts. They connected on back-to-back possessions with 6:43 to play, capping an 11-0 run that gave Washington its first lead since going up 2-0 to open the game.
The lead would change hands twice more before Beal broke a 102-102 tie with a 25-footer set up by Nene and after the Bucks answered with a jumper by guard Jerryd Bayless, Sessions made it a four-point game when he hit from the right corner with two minutes left.
Guard John Wall got into the act, too, sinking a 26-foot pull-up 3-pointer with 1:25 to play, putting an exclamation point on a 19-point night.
"That stretch coming down the last half of the fourth was as good as we've played in terms of ball movement," Wittman said. "Sessions hit a big 3, Brad hit a big 3, John [Wall] got one, too, and Nene gave us the passing because they wanted to try and get the ball out of our guards' hands."
Washington's late rally erased a painful third quarter, which included 10 turnovers and 41 percent shooting, and the Wizards' bench came up big, contributing 53 points.
"Coach said that our second unit really needed to play better tonight and that's what we did," Sessions said. "We took it as a challenge. ... We picked up the slack from the first unit because they can't do it all."
Milwaukee was looking to overcome a disastrous opening night performance, when the Bucks shot 35 percent in a 25-point loss to the Knicks.
They came out hot Friday, shooting 62 percent in the first quarter and rode the hot hand of forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who hit 8 of 11 shots, including a 3-pointer, for 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the first half.
But he picked up a quick foul early in the third, and two more early in the fourth and was held to just four points in the second half before fouling out with 20 seconds to play.
He finished with 27.
"Giannis got in foul trouble," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "Their star players, Wall and their back court (Beal) stepped up and made big plays."
The Bucks shot 52 percent for the game but were 7 of 24 from distance and turned the ball over 16 times.
"We won't beat anybody giving up 120 points," Bucks center Greg Monroe said. "We got to be better at defense. That is it."
Monroe had 22 points and five rebounds, shooting guard Khris Middleton added 18 points and point guard Jerryd Bayless had 14 points and four assists off the bench.
Milwaukee dropped to 0-2 on the season while the Wizards take a 2-0 record into their home opener Saturday night against the Knicks.
NOTES: Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action Friday after missing the season opener to serve a one-game suspension for shoving Bulls F Mike Dunleavy during the playoffs last season. ... Milwaukee was still without SG O.J. Mayo, who has been battling a hamstring injury, and PG Tyler Ennis, who suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason. ... Washington was without G Alan Anderson (ankle) and G/F Martell Webster (hip). ... Wizards G Jared Dudley spent last season with the Bucks, averaging 7.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 72 games. He was traded to Washington over the winter in exchange for a second-round draft pick. ... Bucks head coach Jason Kidd gave Johnny O'Bryant the start at power forward Friday over Chris Copeland, who got the start Wednesday in the season opener. ... Washington won the season-series between the two teams last year, taking two of the three meetings with Milwaukee.
