The Wizards needed to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, and they found a way to grind one out Friday night. Bradley Beal’s banner night fueled a short-handed Washington as it came back to down the Suns, 109-106. The fourth-year guard finished with a game-high 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the victory.
Trailing by as much as nine in the fourth quarter, Beal scored 10 points in the frame – part of his 24 second-half points – to lead the Wizards all the way back in a bizarre finish.
With eight seconds remaining in the game and Washington up by three, Suns guard Brandon Knight (19 points) was fouled behind the 3-point line by Beal. After Knight split the first two, the Suns were hit with a delay of game technical foul. Beal went to the line and missed the technical free throw, making the net result a two-point lead for the Wizards. That lead was eventually extended to the final margin of three by a Garrett Temple free throw with six seconds remaining. Eric Bledsoe – who led the Suns with 22 points and seven assists – missed Phoenix’s chance to tie with an off-the-mark 3-pointer at the buzzer.
On a night without four frontcourt mainstays (Marcin Gortat, Nene, Drew Gooden and Kris Humphries), recently-signed Ryan Hollins was forced into the starting lineup down low alongside Jared Dudley. He played just 13 minutes, as Randy Wittman went with a much smaller rotation for most of the night that saw Otto Porter and Dudley play the “center” position. Center DeJuan Blair was the only other big man to play Friday, logging just 10 minutes.
While Wittman’s strategy was forced to a degree due to the lack of bodies in the frontcourt, it was managed nicely as four of the five Wizards who reached double-figures were guards. Behind Beal, Ramon Sessions led the bench with 18 points, while John Wall finished with 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds. The guards were also forced to rebound, and they did an phenomenal job despite the smaller lineup size. Washington out-rebounded the Suns on the night, 41-35, with the traditional big men (Blair and Hollins) accounting for just eight boards combined.
For Phoenix, the feeling of losing a late lead has become all too familiar. Friday marked the third fourth-quarter lead of nine or more points that the Suns have squandered this season and their second in as many games. Wednesday in Detroit, Phoenix let a 16-point lead get away, eventually falling to the Pistons in overtime.
Sunday, the Wizards will wrap up a three-game homestand as they welcome Dallas to Verizon Center. Tipoff against the Mavericks is set for 6 p.m.
KEY NUMBER
87 – Washington’s guards (Beal, Wall, Sessions, Neal and Temple) accounted for 87 of the team’s 109 points, carrying the shorthanded Wizards to victory.
KEY MOMENT
Bradley Beal’s four points in the final 47 seconds of the game via a jumper and a pair of made free throws gave the Wizards one of their only leads in the game. Luckily, it was the only lead they would need to claim a key victory.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Bradley Beal – 34 points (season-high), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
UNSUNG HERO
Garrett Temple – He only scored six points, but the versatile guard played 35 minutes, the most of any bench player, and played key defense down the stretch. Temple was the only Wizard to finish with a double-digit +/- ratio, posting a +15.
WIZARDS STATS
Shooting %: 48.8 (40/82)
3-point %: 40.0 (10/25)
FT %: 76.0 (19/25)
Assists: 19
Rebounds: 41 (15 OREB)
Turnovers: 21
SUNS STATS
Shooting %: 51.2 (43/84)
3-point %: 43.5 (10/23)
FT %: 62.5 (10/16)
Assists: 21
Rebounds: 35 (12 OREB)
Turnovers: 20
