Warriors vs. Wizards: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
The Washington Wizards notched one of their most impressive wins of the year Tuesday with a 112-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the Verizon Center.
Kevin Durant exited the game after just two minutes due to a hyperextended his left knee and did not return. The team announced he will undergo an MRI. Despite his absence, Golden State overcame a 19-point first-half deficit to tie the game going into the fourth quarter.
While the two sides battled back-and-fourth in the final minutes, Otto Porter Jr. helped the Wizards gain some separation with 17 seconds left thanks to an offensive rebound, drawn foul and two made free throws.
After a missed Stephen Curry three-pointer, Markieff Morris made two more free throws to seal the game for Washington.
Damon Bruce of 95.7 The Game gave the Wizards high praise:
The home team moved to 35-23 after breaking a two-game losing streak, while the Warriors now sit at 50-10, with more losses than they had all of last season.
John Wall struggled as a shooter (6-of-20) but tied a career high with 19 assists. This helped six different Wizards players finish in double figures in a balanced effort. Shooting 12-of-28 from three-point range also helped.
Washington knew this was a big game right from the start, building up as much as a 19-point lead in the first quarter that became a 40-26 advantage through the first 12 minutes.
Wall scored only two of his 12 points in the opening session, but his one basket was a big one:
Washington's defense also came to play against Golden State's elite offense:
Beal added 16 of his 25 points in the opening session to give his squad a strong jolt from the get-go.
Golden State settled down a bit in the second quarter, including this play where Draymond Green turned defense into offense:
Still, the Warriors weren't able to make up too much ground. They entered halftime trailing 61-49.
As Kyle Weidie of Truth About It noted, the Wizards weren't playing much better with 14 turnovers:
The Warriors finally looked like themselves in the third quarter, methodically fighting back thanks to 15 points from Stephen Curry. He finished with 25 in the game.
By the time the fourth quarter began, the two teams were tied at 85-85.
Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead gave Golden State credit for remaining competitive:
Neither side was able to pull away in the final quarter, setting the stage for an exhilarating finish. Green made a handful of big plays to keep the Warriors competitive, finishing with 14 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds.
The game ultimately came down to a couple of free-throw attempts that went in favor of the Wizards, giving the home team a critical win.
The Warriors will continue their five-game road trip with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. With Durant's status up in the air moving forward, Golden State may need explosive outings from Curry, Green and Klay Thompson to stave off Jimmy Butler and the Bulls.
Washington, meanwhile, now heads into a home-and-home battle against the fourth-seeded Toronto Raptors that could have huge playoff implications down the road.
Postgame Reaction
The loss was a disappointing one for the Warriors, but the big story was the injury to Durant, which coach Steve Kerr addressed after the game, via NBATV:
As for the game itself, the Warriors were proud to be able to battle back after a poor start.
"We usually find a way to adjust as the game goes on," Curry said, per the Warriors' Twitter account. "We made the most of what we could and gave ourselves a chance to win."
Still, this was a big win for the Wizards to beat a top team and end a two-game losing streak.
"We needed to bring our best to win tonight and we did," Porter said, per the Wizards' Twitter account.
The challenge will be to keep this up in the upcoming games against the Raptors.
