The Washington Wizards lost their fifth straight game on Tuesday night, falling 119-118 in a thrilling game at the Bradley Center. Ersan Ilyasova tipped in a running Brandon Jennings shot to give the Bucks the one-point lead with just two seconds remaining. Roger Mason would then lose his balance and be whistled for a walk on the Wizards final possession, as the comeback effort fell short. The Wizards were down by as many as 22 points in the first half before a furious comeback attempt at the end of the second quarter and the start of the third.
On their previous possession, John Wall hit a dramatic running one-hander to give the Wizards a 118-117 lead. Wall struggled in the first half but was a huge part of the comeback on the offensive end, attacking the Bucks and dishing 15 assists - matching a career-high. Wall had six assists alone in the third quarter that brought the Wizards even and then scored ten points in the final quarter to keep them in it. Trevor Booker was also huge in the final quarter, scoring a team-high 20 points and grabbing 11 boards. Chris Singleton had a big first half and finished with a career-high 16 points.
It was an impressive effort on the road from the Wizards, who easily could have folded as the Bucks bombed from long range and took the 22-point lead. Mike Dunleavy was on fire, hitting five three-pointers off the bench for Scott Skiles and leading all scorers with 28 points.
But Washington was hitting from outside as well, as the Wiz shot 54 percent from downtown to get back in it. The Wizards got some huge contributions off the bench, as Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans, and Roger Mason all scored in double figures. Randy Wittman switched up the rotation in the second half, as Javale McGee and Nick Young rode the pine in favor of a perimeter-oriented bench attack. At one point, Evans was a perfect six for six from the field before missing his final attempt and finishing with 15 points. Crawford, who had a couple crucial turnovers down the stretch, was also hitting from outside, drilling three of four three-pointers and adding 19 points. Mason hit four of six threes and finished with 14 points.
After the tough one-point loss, the Wizards now have little time to recuperate as the Orlando Magic come to town on Wednesday night.
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