NBA: Beal basket sees Wizards stun Thunder
Bradley Beal. AFP photo
WASHINGTON—Bradley Beal found room with a pump fake then sank a game-winning jump shot with three-tenths of a second left Monday as the lowly Washington Wizards beat Oklahoma City 101-99 in an NBA shocker.
Despite the absence of injured Jordan Crawford and Nene, the Wizards captured their fifth win of the season against 28 defeats.
Beal and Martell Webster both scored 22 points for the Wizards and Kevin Seraphin chipped in 19.
Emeka Okafor notched a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds as Washington won for just the second time in their last 15 games. The Wizards had lost five in a row going into the game.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points with eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder, the Western Conference leaders who had won five of six coming into the contest.
Serge Ibaka scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook finished with 17 points and eight assists.
Despite lacking their top two scorers, the Wizards had built an 80-73 lead with 10:03 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Wizards stretched the margin to double digits, but the Thunder wouldn’t go away.
Westbrook drained a three-pointer, and Durant snatched a steal and passed to Thabo Sefolosha for a dunk that pulled Oklahoma City to 94-90.
Webster was fouled making a three-pointer and converted the free-throw for a 99-94 Wizards lead, but with 36 seconds remaining Durant’s three-pointer knotted the score at 99-99.
But Beal, a 19-year-old rookie, settled it, using the pump fake to evade two Thunder defenders then making his clutch shot.
Westbrook just had time to attempt a three-pointer, but it didn’t fall.
