Wizards rally to claim OT victory at Chicago

Source:AFP-Global Times Published: 2014-4-23 23:28:01

Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards dunks against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday (US time). Photo: AFP



Bradley Beal scored a game-high 26 points to spur Washington to a 101-99 victory over Chicago in overtime on Tuesday (US time), giving the Wizards their best NBA playoff start in 32 years.

Brazilian forward Nene scored 17 points and John Wall added 16 as the Wizards seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series with games three and four on Friday and Sunday in Washington.

This is the first time in franchise history that Washington have won the first two games on the road to open a series and the first time since 1982 they won the first two games in a playoff series.

East's top seeds Indiana and Toronto each won at home on Tuesday to level their first-round matchups, with the ­Pacers beating Atlanta 101-85 and Toronto downing Brooklyn 100-95 to deadlock each series at 1-1.

But in Chicago, where the Bulls' Joakim Noah was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, the hosts' bid to equalize failed because they could not stop 20-year-old guard Beal.

The Wizards led by as many as 17 points but the Bulls outscored them 26-14 in the third quarter and stretched their edge as large as 87-77 in the fourth quarter.

But Washington ended the fourth quarter on a 14-4 run, equalizing on a Beal free throw to force overtime.

Chicago managed only two baskets over more than 10 ­minutes, missing 12 shots in a row and falling behind 97-91 in the extra period before battling back.

Noah made two free throws with 34 seconds to play to trim the score to the final margin. A Beal miss gave Chicago the ball and Nene fouled Kirk Hinrich with 2.4 seconds remaining.

But Hinrich missed the first free throw and then ­deliberately missed the second, hoping to grab a rebound and make a tying basket. Instead, the ­Wizards got the ball and ran out the clock.

In Toronto, the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and took charge in the final minutes as the Raptors won their first playoff victory since 2008.

DeRozan shook off a three-of-13 shooting ­performance in a game-one loss, sinking back-to-back baskets to give the ­Raptors a 91-87 lead. Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson each hit baskets to pull the Nets within two but DeRozan hit free throws down the stretch to seal Brooklyn's fate.

In Indianapolis, Paul George scored 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, passed out six assists and made four steals to lead Indiana to victory.

The Pacers outscored the Hawks 31-13 in the third quarter to seize a 79-65 edge and stretched the lead to as many as 27 points in the final period.

AFP - Global Times

Posted in: Basketball

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