Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 29 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI |
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WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards cannot feel great about their latest late-game performance. At least Bradley Beal and crew held on for a road win. As for the Milwaukee Bucks, they didn't come close to overcoming a brutal third quarter in their latest loss.
Beal scored 34 points and hit five 3-pointers as the Wizards downed the Memphis Grizzlies 102-100 on Friday night. John Wall added 25 points and nine assists. Washington (23-16) is 9-3 since Wall returned from a knee injury on Dec. 13 in another win over Memphis.
Up by 17 points inside the final minute of the third quarter, Washington only led 98-87 with 18.4 seconds remaining after a Tyreke Evans 3-pointer, but sealed the win with four consecutive free throws. The Wizards have won four in a row.
The Wizards shot 2-of-16 from the field in the fourth quarter and 39.3 percent overall, but they also limited the Grizzlies to 40.7 percent.
"Defense. To win on the road playing 39 percent means we played the defense it takes to win on the road," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "It wasn't a pretty game. We struggled offensively in that fourth quarter, but I thought we played with a lot of toughness and we got stops when we needed."
Both teams will play their second game in as many nights.
Milwaukee (20-17) lost 129-110 at home to the Toronto Raptors on Friday night after being outscored 43-19 in the third quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 points, but was quiet offensively in the second half. Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 off the bench and Eric Bledsoe had 17.
"Toronto's a very good team and they came in and they were aggressive," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We have to match that energy. It just seemed like we took a step back when they turned it up. We kind of gave in and so we've just got to continue to understand we've got to fight."
Both teams shot over 53 percent from the field, but the Bucks were hammered on the boards 43-28.
"We have games like this, man," forward John Henson said. "We've got another game in like 24 hours. Can't dwell on it. We've got to get better and go from there."
Markieff Morris had 12 points and matched his career high with 17 rebounds for the Wizards. The starting forward has grabbed at least 11 rebounds in three games in a row after not having a single contest with double-digit boards all season.
"He's just attacking the glass," Brooks said of the 6-foot-10 Morris. "We needed every one of those 17 rebounds. ... He's playing very good basketball. He's scoring when opportunity presents itself."
Washington's other starting forward, Otto Porter, reinjured his hip in the second half at Memphis and did not return. Mike Scott scored 10 points off the bench.
The Wizards won 99-88 at Milwaukee on Nov. 21 as Beal scored 23 points. Antetokounmpo had 23 points on 21 field-goal attempts.
