Murray, Spurs Outlast Wizards 157-153 In Double Overtime
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dejounte Murray had 31 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Washington Wizards on Friday night in the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, 157-153 in double overtime.
Keldon Johnson scored a career-high 32 points, and Jakob Poeltl added a career-high 28 points for the Spurs. They have won five of seven to get coach Gregg Popovich within one victory of Lenny Wilkens' NBA record of 1,335.
Kyle Kuzma matched his season high with 36 points for the Wizards, who finally ran out of gas in the second extra period of this entertaining matchup between teams on the fringes of playoff contention.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points, and Raul Neto had season highs of 22 points and nine assists for Washington. The Wizards fell to 3-3 since losing star Bradley Beal to season-ending left wrist surgery.
The Spurs' point total was the second-highest in a game this season, and the Wizards' was the third-best. Murray missed potential winning shots in both regulation and the first overtime, but he hit two free throws with 13.6 seconds left in the second OT to seal it.
In the first extra period, Neto drove past Murray for a layup that made it 145-145 with 18.3 seconds left. Murray then missed a jumper and Corey Kispert missed a long 3 at the buzzer.
The Spurs appeared to take control with an 11-0 fourth-quarter run, but the Wizards closed out regulation with an 8-0 burst in the final 1:14. Caldwell-Pope tied it on a driving layup with 19.4 seconds left, and Murray missed a deep 3 with 4.1 seconds remaining.
Murray scored a season-best 20 first-half points, and he completed his triple-double on a rebound with 4:57 left in the third quarter. Shortly thereafter, Popovich sat him down and Murray didn't re-enter the game until midway through the fourth.
Coming off his first All-Star appearance, Murray has 12 triple-doubles this season and 16 in his career, both franchise highs.
The biggest lead by either team was an 11-point advantage for San Antonio early in the third quarter, but the Wizards responded with a 17-3 run led by Kuzma, who scored or assisted on six straight baskets.
The Spurs led 75-71 after a defense-optional first half in which the Wizards made 11 of 18 3-point attempts but San Antonio countered with a 44-24 scoring advantage in the paint.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Lonnie Walker IV scored 23 points. ... Murray's 20 first-half points matched his and the team's season high. He also had 20 on Nov. 16 in a loss at the Clippers. ... Josh Richardson was out with a sore right shoulder that he woke up with on Friday, Popovich said.
Wizards: Daniel Gafford had 17 points, Deni Avdija had 14, Corey Kispert had 12 and Ish Smith had 10. ... C Thomas Bryant, who had started the past nine games, came off the bench after suffering a right ankle sprain in practice. ... Kristaps Porzingis, acquired in a trade-deadline deal with Dallas, remains sidelined with a bone bruise in his right knee and coach Wes Unseld Jr. said the team would not rush him back.
UP NEXT
Spurs: At Miami on Saturday night.
Wizards: At Cleveland on Saturday night.
