Thomas' 32 Points Lead Celtics To Win Over Wizards
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jae Crowder scored on a go-ahead layup with 3.9 seconds left off a pass from Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics outlasted the Washington Wizards for a 119-117 victory on Saturday night.
Isaiah Thomas scored 32 points to lead the Celtics, who won their third straight and snapped a three-game skid on the road.
Crowder added 22 points for Boston, which had five players in double figures and trailed by as many as 11 before halftime.
John Wall scored a season-high 36 points but missed a potential game-tying runner at the buzzer. He also had 13 assists and seven steals in 44 minutes. Washington was missing Bradley Beal, who sat out the second of back-to-back games.
Marcin Gortat scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in his return from a knee infection as Washington saw its four-game win streak snapped.
After falling behind 114-110 on Avery Bradley's 3-pointer, the Wizards battled back to tie it at 117 when Garrett Temple hit a pair of free throws with 13.9 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, Smart found Crowder on the right block, and he sank his leaner off the glass.
Wall got the inbounds pass and raced the length of the court, but his layup fell off the rim and Nene's follow came after the buzzer.
BEAL ON THE BENCH
Beal missed the game after scoring 22 points in 22 minutes in Friday night's victory at Indiana. He had returned from a 16-game-layoff (lower right leg stress reaction) on Wednesday.
"The doctors make that decision," coach Randy Wittman said of Beal's absence.
Beal is averaging 19.4 points over 19 games. Both Wittman and Beal have said the guard's minutes would be limited early in his return from injury.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Jared Sullinger scored 14 points but fouled out for the second time this season. He picked up his second and third fouls in a 55-second stretch of the second quarter and was called for his fourth and fifth personals in the span of 16 seconds in the third. ... Guard R.J. Hunter was assigned to the NBDL's Maine Red Claw.
Wizards: F Otto Porter (right hip) missed his second straight game and F Kris Humphries (right knee) missed his seventh . Wittman said F/G Alan Anderson (left ankle surgery) is "doing small stuff on the court." He wouldn't outline at a timetable for his return for the 33-year-old veteran, who hasn't played this season.
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Dallas on Monday.
Wizards: Home against Portland on Monday.
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