Wizards rally from 15 down to beat Nets
NEW YORK -- John Wall collected 25 points and 10 assists as the Washington Wizards rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 118-113 on Monday night.
Bradley Beal added 18 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:27 remaining as Washington outscored the Nets 67-47 in the second half. Otto Porter Jr contributed 18 points before fouling out, Markieff Morris had 16 and Marcin Gortat added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Brook Lopez scored 25 points for the Nets (5-15), who have lost three in a row since last Tuesday's double-overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers. Sean Kilpatrick added 21 for Brooklyn, which led by 16 late in the first half.
The game was tied 18 times, but the Wizards never trailed after Beal answered Trevor Booker's put-back with a 3-pointer for a 107-106 lead. On the next possession, Porter intercepted a pass by Joe Harris and Wall coasted in for a dunk with 3:09 remaining.
Wall then hit a 3-pointer and Gortat had a layup for a 114-107 lead with 1:54 remaining.
Moments after two free throws by Lopez made it a 114-109 game, Morris had a dunk with 46.3 seconds left off a no-look pass by Wall.
The Nets were within 116-113 following a hoop by Kilpatrick and had a chance after Kelly Oubre Jr. missed a 3-pointer with 15.9 seconds left.
The Nets were unable to get a shot off as Beal intercepted Booker's pass near the 3-point line with nine seconds left. Two free throws in the final seconds by Wall sealed it.
Before collapsing the Nets took a 66-51 lead at halftime, but Washington scored the first 13 points of the second half. The Wizards took a five-point lead with about five minutes left in the third and settled for an 83-81 edge into the fourth.
NOTES: Houston matched the four-year, $37 million offer sheet the Nets made to restricted free agent F Donatas Motiejunas. In July, the Nets had offer sheets matched by Miami and Portland to Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe. "It's obviously disappointing when you miss out on another chance to acquire another asset," Brooklyn GM Sean Marks said. "But at the same time, it shows us that we're going down the right path that he was matched." ... Washington C Ian Mahinmi (sore right knee) was inactive for the fourth straight game. Mahinmi played 14 minutes in his season debut Nov. 26 against San Antonio after injuring his left knee during the preseason. Manhimi continued his recovery by running from one end of the court and working on post-up plays during pregame. ... Brooklyn G Caris LeVert was active for the first time after a lengthy rehab following a left injury sustained last February when he was at Michigan.