The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Wizards hang on to beat Warriors after Kevin Durant exits game with knee injury

February 28, 2017 at 10:08 p.m. EST
Markieff Morris blocks Stephen Curry’s shot during the Wizards’ 112-108 win over the Warriors. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

The Washington Wizards have long since passed the moral victory phase. In this season of revelatory success, the Wizards have grown out of those moments when sold-out games against a championship team are viewed as measuring tape to see how they size up. The underdog pants no longer fit, but the Wizards still needed that big-boy win.

Washington got one Tuesday night when it toppled the Golden State Warriors, 112-108, blemishing the record of the best team in basketball.

The Wizards (35-23) spent the night challenging, then coming back and, finally, controlling the outcome. There were no miracle passes or once-in-a-lifetime shots like when Cleveland came to town and thwarted the Wizards' chances at a statement win over the best team in the East.

This time when Washington led by two with six seconds remaining, Warriors guard Stephen Curry had the ball as well as the Wizards' collective heart in his hand. But his attempt from 31 feet missed — "Just prayed it didn't go in," Wizards guard John Wall said, revealing the best defense for such Curry shots — and forward Markieff Morris seized the rebound then converted the game-sealing free throws.

"It was great, man. Great basketball, playoff basketball," said Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who matched Curry with a game-high 25 points. "We've shown so much growth from where we used to be. Even in the previous years, we probably wouldn't have been able to close out a game like this. Now we've shown that we're capable of playing and competing with anybody."

Brewer: Wizards show that Kevin Durant pipe dream wasn’t their only hope

All five Wizards starters reached double figures, along with reserve Bojan Bogdanovic (16 points), and all had defining moments.

Morris scored 11 and grabbed five rebounds in the fourth quarter. Beal poured in 16 in the first quarter — “I thought I was going for 50 for a minute!” — and his fireworks led Washington to an early 19-point lead.

Later, Wizards center Marcin Gortat tipped in a miss by Wall and finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Also, before the answered prayer on Curry’s miss, Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. caught Curry napping by sneaking in from the weak side to grab an offensive rebound. Porter was fouled and snapped a tie by making two free throws.

“We’re back,” Porter said after the win, which followed consecutive losses after the all-star break. “We’re back to our regular self.”

Though the Wizards made 10 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter, Wall did not step to the line during the frame. In fact, he didn’t attempt a single free throw all night, although after the game Wall showed reporters his latest “war wound” from being scratched.

The mysterious absence of free throws did not stop Wall at his creative best. During the morning shoot-around, Wall, who had mentioned how he was fighting a cold, nailed a half-court shot then leapfrogged over assistant coach Maz Trakh. But that wasn’t the most impressive thing he did Tuesday.

In the final minute of a tie game, Wall handed out his 19th assist by connecting with Morris on a backdoor lob. The play — even more significant than keeping Washington afloat in the back-and-forth quarter that featured 10 lead changes — marked the second time this season that Wall matched his career-best assist total.

“This ain’t no flu game for me. Just a little cold. . . . I feel bad, but I still came out and played basketball,” Wall said, then snorted into reporters’ microphones.

Golden State (50-10) did more than suffer a defeat — the Western Conference leaders also lost Kevin Durant.

The anticipated sight of Durant playing in his native area as a Warrior ended prematurely in anti-climactic fashion.

Early in the first quarter, Durant limped off the court after teammate Zaza Pachulia inadvertently fell into him. The Warriors announced Durant had hyperextended his left knee — he did not return after logging just 1:33.

Durant limps to locker room with knee injury, does not return

The last time Durant played in Washington, he also left the game early. On Nov. 10, 2015, Durant, then with the Oklahoma City Thunder, suffered a hamstring injury against the Wizards and had to sit out the next six games.

“You never wish anything bad upon a player, especially a very talented player like that,” Beal said. “You wish him nothing but the best, but thankfully it did play into our [favor]. I’m not going to sit here and act like it wouldn’t have been a factor.”

In the third quarter, Golden State clawed back with Curry scoring 15 points and his teammates living on the foul line (13 attempts). Fittingly, with two minutes remaining in the quarter, the Warriors took their first lead when Shaun Livingston drilled a pair of free throws. But in the end, the Wizards walked off the floor with their most impressive win of the season.

“It’s all finally coming around for us,” Beal said. “We’ve just got to continue to keep the mojo going.”

Wizards note: Point guard Brandon Jennings, an eight-year veteran who was waived by the New York Knicks on Monday, has reached an agreement to join the Wizards for the remainder of the 2016-17 season, pending that he clear waivers. Teams with ample cap space or big enough trade exceptions to absorb Jennings and his $5 million salary for this year have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to claim him.

Jennings has averaged 8.6 points, 4.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds this season.