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WASHINGTON - The injury-plagued Washington Wizards exacted revenge against the Hornets with an ironman approach. Charlotte's rare game with volume turnovers certainly helped. Guard John Wall had 27 points and 12 assists as the Washington Wizards downed the Charlotte Hornets with a 109-101 win Saturday night.
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Guard Garrett Temple scored a career-high 21 points, forward Jared Dudley added 19 and center Marcin Gortat had 18 for the Wizards (11-14). Washington returned home following a 1-3 Western Conference road trip and held on despite almost suffering another fourth quarter collapse against Charlotte.
Charlotte (15-11) won the first meeting 101-87 on Nov. 25 by outscoring Washington 27-6 in the fourth quarter, including a 25-0 stretch.
It appeared another comeback was in the works despite the Wizards leading 93-78 on Dudley's 3-pointer with 9:50 remaining. The Hornets scored 14 of the next 16 points and eventually pulled closer at 99-98 on forward Cody Zeller's putback dunk with 2:24 remaining.
Washington countered with a 6-0 run started by jumpers from Wall and Gortat.
"Knowing the Wizards, we had to put a little scare always at the end," said a relieved Dudley. "That's a big gutsy win for us. This is a big week for us and we know that."
The Wizards, Eastern Conference semifinalists each of the last two seasons, opened their three-game homestand 12th in the conference. They're also shorthanded. Washington had 10 players available and coach Randy Wittman only used eight.
"We were more depleted and everybody had to do a little bit more," said Dudley, who grabbed a season-high nine rebounds in 41 minutes.
Washington did plenty with Charlotte's 18 turnovers, scoring 30 points. With Wall's ability to turn miscues into scoring chances, the Wizards outscored the Hornets 18-8 in fast break points.
Charlotte entered committing a league-low 12 turnovers per game.
"When you turn the ball over 18 times, it's tough to win especially against a team with John Wall, maybe the fastest guy in the league with the ball," said guard Nicolas Batum. "When he starts running, it's over."
Guard Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 18 points. Batum started and had 14 points after missing Thursday's 109-99 overtime road win against the Toronto Raptors with an illness.
Guard Jeremy Lin scored 15 points for the Hornets. Zeller had 11 and seven rebounds as Charlotte outrebounded Washington 51-38.
Charlotte made 10 3-pointers, one more than Washington, but took 33 attempts compared to 20 for the Wizards.
The only statistic the Hornets focused on postgame involved the turnovers.
"You're not going to win in this league turning the ball over," coach Steve Clifford said "and not against a team like that where that's their strength, their game. They deny, they switch [defensively]. They do a great job with it."
Wizards guard and leading scorer Bradley Beal (leg) remains sidelined. Starting small forward Otto Porter missed his first game of the season after suffering a bruised left thigh injury in Wednesday's 114-95 loss at San Antonio Wednesday.
Wall suffered a right ankle sprain Wednesday and sat out Friday's practice, but played 42 minutes against the Hornets. The point guard dominated the first half with 20 points and six assists, including a pinpoint pass to guard Garrett Temple for a corner 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer as Washington led 59-53. The Wizards went up 86-72 in the third quarter following a 16-3 run.
Forward Kelly Oubre Jr., Washington's 2015 first-round pick, scored eight points in his first career start.
"When you're shorthanded, the main thing going into a game is you have to believe," Wittman said. "Go out and think, 'This is going to be my best game of the year so far.' I think some of the guys did that so I'm proud of them."
The Hornets played without center Al Jefferson, who served the third game of a five-game league suspension for violating the NBA drug policy.
NOTES: PF Nene (left calf strain), F Drew Gooden (right calf strain) and G Alan Anderson (ankle) round out Washington's injury report. Wizards coach Randy Wittman said he hoped Nene and Gooden could be back "within a week." ... Hornets assistant coach Patrick Ewing and his son, Patrick Jr., both worked at Verizon Center on Saturday. Ewing Jr. is the director of player operations for the Georgetown Hoyas. ... The Southeast Division foes will meet two more times this season with the next game Feb. 6 in Charlotte. ... The Hornets remain on the road for Monday's matchup with the Houston Rockets. ... The second game of Washington's three-game homestand occurs Monday in the first meeting this season with the Sacramento Kings.
