Rob Carr/Getty Images

Up next for each team:

Washington (18-39) hosts Philadelphia Sunday, 6 p.m. ET.

New York (35-20) hosts Miami Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.

Takeaways from this game:

-Bradley Beal's brilliant February carried over into March, as he shot 10-of-21 and 4-of-7 from deep. He showed his all-around skills, though, grabbing 11 boards in the process.

-Meanwhile, John Wall had a so-so night, and his 5 turnovers didn't help Washington's comeback attempt.

-Washington went 19-29 from the free-throw line, and those 10 missed free throws came back to bite them in the final tally.

-Carmelo's 30 points was a relatively unimpressive 30 points. Yes, some of the shots were difficult, but he went 10-of-24. Raymond Felton's 9-of-18 was much more efficient, as he was plus-10 on the night.

-Jason Kidd turned in a mixed bag coming off the bench. His shot was off, and he didn't play his best defense. But he did dish five assists as a reserve. Coach Woodson has confidence in him in any role.

-Amar'e Stoudemire was particularly effective tonight, scoring 12 in 22 minutes off the bench. His moves were decisive, and he was too much to handle in the paint at times for Washington.

Wizards final box score

Knicks final box score

Melo scored 30, but Felton was the star tonight. Knicks were better by a mile when he was on the floor. Take the W and run home.

— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) March 2, 2013

Melo may have tallied the most points, but Felton controlled the complexion of the game

In a losing effort, Bradley Beal scored a career-high 29 points.

Is he making a late run at Rookie of the Year honors?

I suspect @dame_lillard has ROTY wrapped up, unless he gets hurt. But @realdealbeal23 is coming on like a freight train for the Wizards.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) March 2, 2013

Needless to say, his future is extremely bright.

Key playmakers tonight for Washington:

Bradley Beal: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists

John Wall: 16 points, 6 assists, 5 turnovers

Trevor Ariza: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Emeka Okafor: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks

Key playmakers tonight for New York:

Carmelo Anthony: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Raymond Felton: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

J.R. Smith: 13 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals

Amar'e Stoudemire: 12 points, 2 rebounds

Sweet "payback'' for #Knicks holding Wizards to 11 points in the fourth quarter - 25 less than three weeks ago.

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) March 2, 2013

New York tightened the screws on defense in crunch time, making life difficult for Wall and company

Missed free throws were costly tonight...

— Roni (@BBallWiz330) March 2, 2013

Multiple Wizards missed free-throws down the stretch.

Free-throws put the game out of reach, and NYK wins 96-88.

Complete post-game coverage coming up!

In emergency situations, Raymond Felton can be used as a flotation device.

His runner in the lane keeps New York in the driver's seat.

Knicks 94, Wizards 88, 0:27 remaining in 4th

Offensive boards keep Washington alive:

HUGE offensive rebound by the Wizards there. Great effort by Okafor to keep it alive, good hustle by Beal.

— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) March 2, 2013

Knicks 92, Wizards 88, 0:53 remaining in 4th

Carmelo Anthony buried a huge triple to give New York some breathing room.

The big question is whether Washington has a player who can go toe-to-toe with him towards the end of the game.

Back-to-back sloppy possessions say "no."

Knicks 92, Wizards 87, 1:04 remaining in 4th 

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

New York has five turnovers in the fourth quarter, which is highly uncharacteristic of them.

As a result, Washington is right in this one. Bradley Beal has tied his career high with 28 points, and that mark leads all scorers in the game.

Knicks 89, Wizards 87, 2:53 remaining in 4th

Wall a little out of control on his last couple trips down the floor:

Someone should tell Wall to stop running that "run into the defender" play, it's not working

— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) March 2, 2013

Knicks 90, WIzards 86, 3:20 remaining in 4th

An offensive foul by 'Melo helps keep Washington in the game, as they are well within striking distance.

Beal immediately cashes in with a triple to make it a one-possession game.

Knicks 87, Wizards 86, 3:37 remaining in 4th

Photo courtesy of @WashWizards

As a sidenote, Washington fans showed up in droves to watch this one.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Excessive reaction by 'Melo leads to a technical, let's see if it helps or hurts him in crunch time.

He's in a trash-talking mode as the game enters its last 6 minutes.

Knicks 87, Wizards 82, 6:11 remaining in 4th

A slower pace for New York in the fourth has been a good approach. They're woking to find the open spots on the floor, and grinding out each possession on defense.

Knicks 85, Wizards 79, 6:54 remaining in 4th

Washington's current lineup:

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

A goaltend call against the Wizards draws the ire of John Wall, and he's immediately T'd up.

Just like that, the Knicks are back on top.

Knicks 78, Wizards 77, 9:51 remaining in 4th

Jason Kidd vs. John Wall is an interesting matchup of two generations and two styles.

It didn't last long, as Felton switched back on Wall.

Wizards 77, Knicks 75, 10:31 remaining in 4th

The Wizards went on a 25-10 run to end the third quarter, buoying them past the Knicks heading into the fourth.

Amar'e Stoudemire with a nice post move including a left-handed finish.

I'll be honest, I didn't think his offseason work with Hakeem Olajuwon would amount to much. But he's better than I thought he'd be.

Wizards 77, Knicks 73, 0:11 remaining in 3rd