Story By: Erin Zollars
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Dallas, TX–
nbaAfter maintaining a double digit lead for most of the entire game tonight the Washington Wizards almost let one slip away against the Mavericks in a 114-111 victory.
Porter scored a career-high 28 points, John Wall had 26 points and 16 assists and the Washington Wizards ended an 11-game losing streak against the Dallas Mavericks with a 114-111 victory Saturday night.
Washington did something tonight they have not done in quite a few years, that was defeating Dallas. They had not done so since Oct. 27, 2009. The Wizards were playing their second straight game without Beal. The team announced before the game that Beal would be sidelined for at least two weeks with a right leg injury. Beal is the team’s second-leading scorer with 19.8 points per game.
The Mavericks closed the game on a 19-8 rally, pulling within 112-111 on J.J. Barea’s two free throws with 4.4 seconds to go. After Wall made a pair with 3.7 seconds left, Dirk Nowitzki’s high-arcing 3-pointer grazed the front rim at the buzzer.
Most notable for the night was the effort Wall delivered sharing in the wealth of passing the ball. Wall’s 16 assists were a season high, and he scored 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Wizards fended off the rally.
”He’s just maturing each and every day from his leadership on the floor, in the locker room through this tough stretch,” said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. ”He’s really taken ownership of this team.”
