Wizards Stay Hot, Erase 19-Point Deficit To Beat Pelicans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 of his 27 points successful the 2nd half, and the Washington Wizards erased a 19-point shortage to bushed the New Orleans Pelicans 105-100 Monday nighttime for their 5th consecutive victory.

Washington astatine 10-3 is disconnected to the franchise’s champion commencement successful 47 years erstwhile the Bullets opened the 1974-75 play 11-2. The Wizards person done this with and without All-Star defender Bradley Beal, who missed a 2nd consecutive crippled mourning the decease of his grandmother.

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“We emotion him, we enactment him and we can’t hold till helium comes back,” Wizards guardant Deni Avdija said.

Aaron Holiday, who took Beal’s spot successful the starting lineup, scored 12 points. Dinwiddie made his archetypal 3 3-point attempts successful the 3rd 4th to commencement the ascent backmost from down 60-41, cutting the Pelicans’ pb to 5 earlier a bid of fouls and missed escaped throws temporarily stalled the comeback bid.

Trailing by 7 entering the 4th quarter, it took until Kyle Kuzma’s 3 with 5:18 near for the Wizards to propulsion adjacent astatine 92 for the archetypal necktie since 33-all. Avdija’s fast-break layup enactment Washington up with nether 4 minutes left, and the second-year pro from Israel grabbed a antiaircraft rebound connected the adjacent Pelicans possession to bring the location assemblage to its feet.

Fan favourite halfway Montrezl Harrell was serenaded with “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants portion shooting escaped throws with 2 minutes remaining and pounded his thorax aft drafting an violative foul seconds later. The Wizards pulled distant from determination connected jumpers by Avdija and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, portion the Pelicans missed 11 consecutive attempts from the tract to fto the crippled gaffe away.

New Orleans mislaid for the 13th clip successful 15 games this season, each without Zion Williamson due to the fact that of a breached close foot. Pelicans guardant Brandon Ingram led each scorers with 31 points successful his 2nd crippled backmost from a hep injury, and Jonas Valanciunas added 16.

RUI EVENTUALLY

The Wizards person been playing without Rui Hachimura due to the fact that the guardant was granted a permission of lack for idiosyncratic reasons. They cognize they’ll request to integrate him into the rotation astatine immoderate constituent but don’t yet cognize what that looks similar oregon erstwhile it volition happen.

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“It’s going to beryllium a challenge,” Washington manager Wes Unseld Jr. said. “Obviously we’re playing beauteous well. Sometimes arsenic coaches we overthink it, and you’re disquieted astir upsetting the balance. There’s different portion of maine that says, ‘You cognize what, conscionable rip the set assistance disconnected and spell for it, spot however it looks.’ But erstwhile that clip comes, we’re conscionable going to person to woody with it, incrementally bring him in, bring him along.”

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Josh Hart, who manager Willie Green has praised for becoming a amended leader, had 13 points and 12 rebounds. … Former Wizards defender Garrett Temple scored 8 points. … Ingram had missed 7 consecutive games earlier coming backmost Saturday against Memphis. … Devonte Graham finished with 14 points.

Wizards: Held an hostile astatine 100 oregon less points for the sixth clip successful 13 games. They lone did that 5 times past season. … Caldwell-Pope finished with 18 points and deed 4 3s. … Dinwiddie besides had 9 assists. … Unseld expects Beal to question with the squad connected its upcoming two-game roadworthy travel and beryllium disposable to play Wednesday nighttime astatine Miami. … Forward Davis Bertans, who has been retired with a sprained near ankle, continues to signifier and could play adjacent week, according to Unseld.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Wrap up their two-game roadworthy travel astatine the Miami Heat connected Wednesday night.

Wizards: Visit the Charlotte Hornets connected Wednesday night.

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