Wizards edge Hawks, snap skid
WASHINGTON -- Bradley Beal scored 28 points, and John Wall had all 22 of his points in the second half as the Washington Wizards snapped a two-game losing streak with a 104-100 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Wall missed all eight of his field-goal attempts in the first half and finished 6 of 21, but the All-Star scored 12 points in the third quarter and hit two free throws with five seconds remaining to seal the win. He finished with 10 assists for the Wizards (43-28).
Washington moved one game ahead of the Toronto Raptors in the race for the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 29 points and Dennis Schroder 18 for the Hawks (37-34), who have lost five straight. Dwight Howard finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds, but Washington dominated the glass 55-44. Atlanta shot 39.5 percent from the field.
Atlanta fell to 0-6 without All-Star Paul Millsap this season. Millsap missed his third game in a row with left knee tightness. Fellow starter Kent Bazemore remains sidelined with a right knee bone bruise.
The Hawks won the season opener for both teams in Atlanta, but the Wizards won the final three meetings.
The Wizards played like a team still dealing with a post-All-Star break funk most of the game and never led by more than two points until a 19-6 run in the fourth quarter. Beal's dunk with 3:35 remaining gave Washington a 96-84 lead.
Atlanta immediately countered with a 14-5 spurt. Hardaway's free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining pulled the Hawks within 101-98, but Washington then made 3 of 4.
Markieff Morris had 13 points, and his jumper put Washington up for good at 79-78 with 7:11 left. The Wizards committed 19 turnovers, but only one in the fourth quarter.
Washington won 18 of 21 entering the All-Star break, but largely stumbled upon returning because of defensive issues. Monday's 110-102 loss at the Boston Celtics, their second in a row and fourth in five games, was the ninth time in 11 games the Wizards allowed at least 110 points.
Sloppy play on both ends compounded matters during an out-of-sync first half against the Hawks. The Wizards committed 13 turnovers and shot 34 percent from the field with Wall missing all eight of his attempt. They trailed 46-40 as Hardaway scored 17 points for Atlanta.
Wall woke up in the third quarter as the Southeast Division foes entered the final period tied 67-67 before the crowd of 18,137.
NOTES: Hawks F Mike Dunleavy scored nine points for Atlanta after missing 13 games with a right ankle injury. ... Washington hosts the Brooklyn Nets on Friday before embarking on a five-game road trip that includes stops against the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors. The Wizards are 3-0 against the Nets this season. ... Atlanta closes its three-game road swing Friday at Milwaukee with a chance to sweep the four-game season series.