Wizards Overcome 27-Point Deficit To Beat Sputtering Knicks
NEW YORK (AP) — Bradley Beal scored 36 points, and the Washington Wizards overcame a 27-point deficit to beat the slumping New York Knicks 118-113 on Wednesday night.
Otto Porter Jr. added 22 points and Ian Mahinmi had 17 for the Wizards, who trailed 68-41 late in the second quarter. Washington then went on a 42-15 run to tie it at 83 with 3:32 left in the third.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 37 points — 32 in the first half — to lead the Knicks, who've lost a season-worst eight straight and are 0-4 since losing All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to a season-ending knee injury. Enes Kanter added 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Markieff Morris' 3-pointer with 1:22 left in the third quarter gave Washington its first lead since it made the game's first basket.
New York reclaimed the lead for the final time, 94-93, on Courtney Lee's jumper with 9:41 left in the game. Washington led for good after Porter's jumper with 6:27 remaining and pulled ahead by as many as eight on three occasions in the final minutes.
The Knicks led 39-26 after the first quarter and 72-51 at halftime, setting a season high for first-half points.
Morris finished with 13 points, and Tomas Satoransky had 11 assists.
Michael Beasley scored 16 for the Knicks.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington has scored at least 100 points in 10 straight games, going 7-3 during that stretch.
Knicks: Hardaway entered the game having made only five of his previous 44 3-point attempts. He made his first five attempts on Wednesday night. ... The Knicks have reached the 100-point plateau just twice during their skid.
WIZARDRY
Washington has won eight straight against the Knicks and 15 of the last 16 in the series, including eight straight at Madison Square Garden. New York's last home victory over Washington was on April 9, 2013.
HAVEN'T HIT THE WALL
The Wizards have gone 7-2 without All-Star John Wall, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Jan. 31. Washington has recorded at least 26 assists in eight of its last nine games.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
The Knicks played their first game at the current Madison Square Garden exactly 50 years ago. On February 14, 1968, New York posted a 114-102 victory over the San Diego Rockets in the second game of a doubleheader. Boston defeated Detroit 118-96 in the opener, with the Pistons' Dave DeBusschere (who later played for New York) scoring the arena's first point on a free throw.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Visit Cleveland next Thursday.
Knicks: At Orlando next Thursday.
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