Kings Squander Big Lead, Lose 113-97 Against Wizards
WASHINGTON (AP) - John Wall had 31 points and 12 assists, Paul Pierce scored 17 points, and the Washington Wizards rallied from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings 113-97 on Saturday night.
Reserve Rasual Butler and Bradley Beal scored 14 points apiece for the Wizards, who have won three straight and five of seven.
DeMarcus Cousins had 30 points, 21 in the first half, for the Kings before fouling out with 5:34 left.
Ramon Sessions' 3-pointer gave Washington its first lead of the night, 89-88 with 10:11 left. Butler scored five straight to make it 94-88 and Wall's 3-pointer eventually capped a 16-0 run.
The Kings, playing the second of a back-to-back, finished 2-6 on their eight-game road trip.
Both teams were without starting forwards. Rudy Gay (left patellar tendon strain) sat for Sacramento and Washington's Nene (personal reasons) missed his second straight.
The Wizards trailed 64-46 at halftime and by 21 early in the third, but stormed back.
Wall, who had 15 points in the quarter, and Pierce (12) sparked a 19-2 run that pulled them within 79-77 with 2:45 left in the quarter. Wall's 3-pointer cut the Kings' lead to 85-84 after three.
Cousins scored eight first-quarter points before picking up his second foul with 4:58 left in the period.
The Kings led 34-32 early in the second quarter when Derrick Williams hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. That started an 18-2 run that was capped when Cousins was fouled while hitting a jumper before adding the free throw.
The Kings center closed out the first half with a one-handed alley-oop dunk off a lob from Ray McCallum.
Sacramento shot 59.5 percent (25 of 42).
TIP-INS:
Kings: G Andre Miller scored four points and had seven assists in his return to Washington. He was traded by the Wizards to Sacramento for Sessions on Feb. 19. . Gay is averaging 27.8 points over his last five games. . It was the 10th time this season Cousins has fouled out.
Wizards: It Wall's 34th double-double. . Washington hadn't won three straight since Jan. 5-9. . The Wizards were also without F Kris Humphries (strained left groin) and G Garrett Temple (right hamstring strain). . Sessions had three points and an assist against his former team.
UP NEXT:
Kings: Host Atlanta on Monday.
Wizards: Host Portland on Monday.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
