Wizards 133, Celtics 132 (2OT)
John Wall collected 26 points, 17 assists, seven rebounds and three steals and scored the winning points in the final minute as host Washington outlasted Boston to earn a split in the home-and-home set.
Paul Pierce led the way with a season-high 28 points while Marcin Gortat added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who shot 52.1 percent from the floor. Kris Humphries tallied 17 points and nine boards while Bradley Beal chipped in with 14 points for Washington, which went 28-of-34 from the free-throw line.
Jeff Green poured in 28 points while Marcus Smart scored a season-high 23 for the Celtics, whose bench outscored the Wizards' 82-27. Brandon Bass and Kelly Olynyk each tallied 19 points and combined for 20 rebounds while Evan Turner contributed 18 points and eight assists for Boston, which finished 29-of-32 from the foul line.
Smart's jumper put Boston in front 113-110 and Green's bucket increased
the lead to five before Pierce evened the score after connecting from
beyond the arc with 38 seconds left to force another overtime. Olynyk
handed the Celtics a 130-123 advantage before Wall scored every point
during a 10-2 run, including the decisive three-point play with 44
seconds left, to give Washington a 133-132 lead it would not
relinquish.
The Wizards led by as much as 23 and settled for a 16-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter before Turner keyed a 15-0 run as the Celtics stormed back in front 103-102 after holding Washington scoreless for over four minutes. Pierce and Wall knocked down clutch jumpers to put the Wizards back on top 109-105 but Humphries missed a critical free throw and Turner nailed a desperation 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left to force overtime.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Wizards have won three of the last four meetings with the Celtics. … Wall became the first player in franchise history to dish out 12 or more assists in five straight games. … Green went 11-of-11 from the foul line and is 16-of-17 in his last two outings.