Wizards Lose Nail-Biter
John Wall had 19 points and 15 assists, including a go-ahead runner with 6.8 seconds left in the game, but the Wizards came up just short as a game-winning tip-in from Ersan Ilyasova crushed their hopes of a road win in Milwaukee, and they fell 119-118 on Tuesday night.
Fueled by some of the elder members of the team, the Wizards battled back from a 22 point first-half deficit to take the lead in the second half. Maurice Evans started the second half and dropped in 13 of his season-high 15 points in that frame. Roger Mason Jr. also had a season-high 14 points off the bench including four three-pointers.
It was a night full of season-highs, as Chris Singleton also had a season-high and career-high 16 points to go along with his nine rebounds.
Trevor Booker had a season-high 20 points and had a team-high 11 rebounds.
John Wall tied a career-high with his 15 assists.
As a team, the Wizards knocked down a season-high 13 three-pointers and shot 54% from behind the arc.
The Wizards return home to face the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Verizon Center (7pm).
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Highlights
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Postgame
WIZARDS GUARD JOHN WALL:
On potentially getting the first game-winning field goal of the season…:
“I knew we had to come down and get a stop. The same thing happened to me last year against the Clippers at
home. We fought in the second half and made it a game. First half they did whatever they wanted. We just didn’t
close it out.”
On second half adjustments…:
“Coach Wittman is a good coach. He knows what to do to motivate us. He knows we don’t need motivation. We
just need to go out there as a team and play hard. And that’s what we did in the second half, we got stops. They
overshot so that made it a lot easier for us. He was satisfied in with the second half but he said ‘Why can’t you
do that for 48 minutes?’ I feel like I lost the game even though I didn’t take the last shot. I had seven turnovers,
unforced, making the wrong decisions. I put the game on my shoulders.”
WIZARDS GUARD ROGER MASON JR.:
On final offensive possession…:
“We drew up a great play, we had multiple options. ‘Book’ (Trevor Booker) set a great screen. I came off pretty
open. I felt Dunleavy coming and took a pump fake. But I guess I must have shuffled my feet since they called a
travel. It’s disappointing because we really fought back in the second half. I feel bad for our guys that I missed
that opportunity. I’ve had a bunch of those ‘end of the game’ situations and I’ve hit a bunch of them. I guess this
is my first time not coming through. We can take some positives from the second half.”
On second half comeback…:
“It wasn’t really our size, we were undersized. It was the size of our heart out there. The group that was out there
in the second half gave it all they had. I thought Chris Singleton was playing like a beast down there at the ‘4.’
Mo gave us great minutes. John (Wall) controlled the game. The guys that played in the second half just brought
energy. We didn’t have a height advantage, but we played really hard and that’s how we got back in the game.”
WIZARDS COACH RANDY WITTMAN:
On comeback to take 118-117 lead late, ultimately losing 119-118…
“We fell. We’re undersized a bit. Those guys got us back. I wasn’t going to go with anybody else. Chris Singleton
did a hell of a job for not playing the 4 position this year. That’s basically what he played in the second half. ‘Mo’
(Evans) came in and gave us a big lift, ‘Mase’ (Roger Mason) gave us a big lift. Somehow we have to break this
thing of just coming out and playing.”