Bradley Beal stars as Wizards hold on to beat Knicks
Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (3) shoots over New York Knicks’ Enes Kanter, of Turkey, (00) and New York Knicks’ Emmanuel Mudiay, of Congo, (1) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
NEW YORK — Bradley Beal felt at home at Madison Square Garden, and for good reason given the Wizards’ recent history there.
Beal finished with 27 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 21 off the bench as Washington beat the Knicks in New York for the ninth straight time, 110-107 on Monday night.
“I feel like every time I step into this building, I need to have a great game,” Beal said. “That is how I approach it. It is a true basketball building. There is legacy and history here. It’s a big stage with lots of lights.”
John Wall had 18 points and 15 assists for the Wizards, who won on the road for just the third time this season. Markieff Morris also had 18 points and Otto Porter Jr. added 15.
“I don’t know what else to say other than we won nine (straight) games,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “We just gotta keep playing every game like we did tonight in that third and fourth quarter, and hopefully there’s a tenth one.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with 20 points. Damyean Dotson scored 17 and Enes Kanter had 13 points and 16 rebounds for New York, which has lost three of four.
Washington trailed by as many as 11 points late in the second quarter, but Beal’s layup with 6.6 seconds remaining got the Wizards within 61-52 at halftime.
Washington then opened the third quarter with a 28-8 run and went ahead 80-69 on Wall’s dunk with 3:33 left in the period.
“We didn’t come out ready,” Kanter said. “They had more energy and we just couldn’t respond.”
The Knicks closed the gap to 86-80 at the end of the quarter and pulled within 88-84 early in the fourth.
However, the Wizards scored the next seven points and went on to lead by a game-high 16, 105-89, on Wall’s jumper with 4:24 to play.
New York mounted a frantic rally and pulled within three, 107-104, on Noah Vonleh’s layup with 35 seconds left.
But Wall hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left before Courtney Lee ended the scoring with a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining.
“That’s us. That’s our team,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said. “As long as there’s time on the clock our guys will fight to try to win the game.”
Emmanuel Mudiay had 16 points for the Knicks, and Vonleh had 11.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington hasn’t lost to the Knicks in New York since April 9, 2013. Overall, the Wizards have won the last 10 meetings between the teams.
Knicks: Trey Burke did not play because of a sprained right knee. … Lee, who suffered a neck injury in September, appeared in his first game this season. He played 16 minutes and scored seven points. … Frank Ntilikina did not see action for a second straight game (coach’s decision) after playing in each of the Knicks’ first 23 games.
NEXT MAN UP
No Knick has started all 25 games this season, but Kanter, Allonzo Trier and Vonleh have played in each. The Wizards’ starting backcourt of Beal and Wall has been intact for every game, and they are the only Washington players to see action in all 24 games.
NO FREEBIES NECESSARY
The Wizards took control in the third quarter, when they outscored the Knicks 34-19 without the benefit of a single free throw. They shot 60 percent (15 for 25) from the field, including 44.4 percent (4 of 9) from 3-point range, over those 12 minutes.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Washington visits Atlanta on Wednesday.
Knicks: New York visits Boston on Thursday.
