The Wizards had Nene back from a right shoulder injury that kept him out for two games and backup point guard A.J. Price returned from a right thigh contusion that forced him to sit for one game. And to top it off, John Wall returned to his efficient self in helping Washington end a two-game losing streak and hitting the big shots down the stretch for a 90-87 victory Sunday at Verizon Center. On a down note, rookie SG Bradley Beal went down in the last two minutes of the game with what appears to be a serious ankle injury and had to be carried off the court. He didn't return.
Player of the game: Wall finished with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting and had six assists and grabbed five rebounds. Wall also hit two free throws and a jump shot in the final minute.
The rundown: The key was getting out to a good start as the Wizards took a seven-point lead on a 20-foot jump shot from Bradley Beal. Beal has six points in the opening quarter and Price came off the bench to contribute four. Nene led the way with 11 first-half points and the Wizards. They extended the lead to 70-60 with three minutes left in the third quarter. Turnovers sabotaged Washington, however, as it had four that allowed Philadelphia to regain the lead 83-82 on a three-pointer by Jrue Holiday. Wall's jump shot cut the deficit to 87-86 with 1:27 left. He then made two free throws to put his team back ahead 88-87 and a jumper with 4.4 left -- thanks to an offensive rebound by Nene -- to seal it. The Wizards won their 11th of 15 home games.
Turning point: With the scored tied at 57 in the third quarter, the Wizards extended it to 10. Beal's three-pointer started the run and Wall set up teammates for easy buckets.
Trending upward: F Jan Vesely hadn't played Feb. 8 but entered a game for the first time since at 4:58 of the first quarter. He initially looked shaky, getting a turnover and allowing Royal Ivey an offensive rebound and putback to trim the Wizards’ lead to 18-17. But in the third quarter, Vesely was back. His lay-in on a lob from from Wall pushed the Wizards up 70-60. The Sixers aggressively trapped the ball with Vesely on the floor, but he also had a dunk to end the third on a lob from A.J. Price .
Trending downward: Fs Chris Singleton and Trevor Booker, each of whom started a game when Nene was out, didn't log a minute of action.
Fast starter: Martell Webster scored Washington’s first four points. In Friday’s loss to the Knicks, Webster scored the first five.
Who’s next: Wednesday at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8; Friday at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30; Saturday vs. Charlotte Bobcats, 8. All games on CSN.
