Bradley Beal’s game-winning 3 lifts Wizards over Spurs in thrilling finish
The Washington Wizards began this NBA season with hopes of emerging as the most legitimate challengers to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two wins in their first three games did nothing to take them off that path, but Wednesday’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs figured to serve as a much sterner test of their abilities.
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The end result should have Washington feeling pretty good about their prospects moving forward, although it very easily could have gone in the other direction. Tied at 99-99 with only seven seconds on the clock, the Wizards managed to isolate Bradley Beal in a mismatch with LaMarcus Aldridge on the wing. Beal jab-stepped the slower defender into oblivion and coolly buried this game-winning three-pointer to leave the Spurs with only 0.3 seconds on the clock:
The 102-99 finish served as a heartbreaker for the Spurs, who had tied the game on the previous possession via this Tony Parker triple:
Beal’s winner capped an excellent night for the fourth-year shooting guard, who led all scorers with 25 points (11-of-22 FG, 3-of-8 3FG) and added five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He also took the time to speak with NBA TV after the game:
The Wizards also got key performances from point guard John Wall (17 points, 13 assists, and four steals) and wing Otto Porter Jr. (19 points on 8-of-10 shooting), whose emergence as a seemingly legitimate starter has allowed the team to transition to a quicker style of play contingent on ball movement and five-man versatility.
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That approach caused problems for Aldridge, who struggled offensively (14 points on 4-of-11 shooting and five turnovers) despite holding apparent advantages over many defenders. The Spurs offense once again looked dependent on the creation and scoring abilities of Kawhi Leonard (23 points on 10-of-22 FG), although a stronger game from the previously struggling Parker (17 points on 6-of-11 FG) suggests improved balance could be around the corner.
The good news for San Antonio is that they played well enough to win and very well might have had they not opened and closed the game with disappointing bookends. Washington got out to a 19-2 lead after just five minutes of play, but they surrendered that lead by the end of the first quarter. The Spurs also led by eight points with 9:45 remaining in regulation before the Wizards closed strong to put themselves in position to win on Beal’s shot.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
