Beal's 38 leads Wizards over Kings
SACRAMENTO -- Bradley Beal scored a game-high 38 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime as the Washington Wizards defeated the Sacramento Kings 130-122 at the Golden 1 Center on Friday.
Washington (40-24) erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to claim the win, showing the mettle that has made it the winningest team (24-8) in the NBA since Jan. 1. The Wizards entered the fourth trailing 97-82 and took their first lead since the first quarter, 109-107, on a Bradley Beal layup with 2:58 to play. Beal scored 16 of his 38 in the fourth quarter to help lead the charge.
It was an especially galling loss for Sacramento (25-40), which held a double-digit lead for the majority of the second and third periods, and a 105-95 lead with just under seven minutes to play. The Wizards then went on a 10-0 run -- with eight points coming from Beal -- to pull even with 4:18 remaining.
Washington All-Star point guard John Wall, who finished with 25 points and 12 assists, had a shot to win the game at the end of regulation but saw his 17-foot wing jumper go in and out. The teams finished regulation tied at 116-116.
The Kings have now lost seven straight, their longest skid of the season. The hosts were led by Willie Cauley-Stein's 20 points and 13 rebounds.
The first half was highlighted by Sacramento rookie Buddy Hield taking advantage of his first start since being acquired by the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins deal with New Orleans on Feb. 19. Hield had 18 points in the half, including 13 in the first quarter. His second of three 3-pointers in the quarter gave the Kings a 13-10 advantage, and they wouldn't trail again until the fourth.
The Kings were especially accurate from behind the arc during the first half, hitting on 8 of 12. Conversely, the Wizards were dreadful from distance. Washington was just 2 of 13 in the half, including a combined 0 for 6 from Wall and Bojan Bogdanovic. That trend would change in the second half, especially in the fourth period and overtime when the Wizards connected on 5 of 7 treys.
NOTES: Sacramento F Tyreke Evans missed the game for a night of rest. Evans was coming off of his best game (26 points in a loss at San Antonio) since being acquired by the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade to New Orleans. ... Willie Cauley-Stein's double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds was just his third of the season, and his first since a 29 and 10 effort in a home win over Denver on Feb. 23. ... Prior to Friday's win, the Wizards had been winless in their past seven trips to Sacramento. The losing streak dated back January 2009. ... After totaling 20 assists in each of their previous two games, the Kings reached 10 assists (on 14 made shots) by the end of the first period on Friday. They finished the night with 27 assists.