WASHINGTON (AP) Bradley Beal scored 25 points and John Wall had 24 as the Washington Wizards took a page from the Portland Trail Blazers’ playbook by hitting 13 3-pointers in a comfortable 120-101 victory on Monday afternoon.
The Wizards, who rely less on the 3-pointer than almost any NBA team, were 13 of 23 from beyond the arc in their 12th consecutive home victory. The 3-pointer-heavy Trail Blazers shot 8 of 26 on 3-point attempts.
After Washington coach Scott Brooks called Portland guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as good as any backcourt in the league, Beal and John Wall outplayed them. Lillard led the Blazers with 22 points and McCollum had 12, but they combined to shoot 11 of 29 from the floor.
The Wizards have won four of their last five games.
On the final day of All-Star voting, Wall put on show by dunking over Mason Plumlee and hitting a step-back 3-pointer from the top of the arc. He finished 10 of 17 and Beal was 7 of 11, including 3 of 3 from 3-point territory.
Washington opened the game shooting 4 of 5 to jump ahead 10-0 and led by 30 after Marcin Gortat’s layup with 4:24 left in the third quarter.
Portland cut it as close as 17 in the fourth, forcing Wall and Beal back on the floor, but lost its second game in a row.
MLK DAY
Wearing a shirt with the message: ”His dream inspired the world. Never stop dreaming,” Beal took the microphone to address the crowd of 17,395 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Brooks said he always stops by the MLK Memorial during his walks around the National Mall.
Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said about half the team went to the National Museum of African American History and Culture after practice Monday.
”It’s a little sobering, the African-American experience in this country and also celebrating the contributions of the African-American community,” Stotts said.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: McCollum’s streak of consecutive games with 25-plus points ended at eight. He became the eighth player to score 1,000 points this season, joining Russell Westbrook, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant and Isaiah Thomas. … F Maurice Harkless, who was questionable with a left calf injury, was 0 of 5 with no points. … F Ed Davis, who had a left ankle injury, played just five minutes and scored two points.
Wizards: Improved to 10-2 when F Otto Porter has at least three 3-pointers.. … Their 37 first-quarter and 75 first-half points are season highs. … Their last 12-game home winning streak came in 1989 as the Bullets. … F Markieff Morris had 17 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. … Kelly Oubre’s 18 points were one shy of his career high.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Wizards: Look to extend their home winning streak to 13 when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
