Alex Sarr led seven Washington players in double figures with 19 points and the visiting Wizards avenged a 20-point loss to the Detroit Pistons two nights earlier with a 129-125 win on Thursday night.
Justin Champagnie and Jordan Poole each had 17 points, while Khris Middleton and Bub Carrington supplied 16 apiece.
Cade Cunningham carried Detroit with 38 points and 10 assists. Jalen Duren added 18 points with 14 rebounds.
The Wizards were down six early in the fourth quarter, but Champagnie’s 3-pointer with 6:17 remaining cut Detroit’s lead to one. His four-point play with 5:12 left gave Washington a one-point lead.
The Pistons soon had a 6-0 spurt to take a five-point lead. Tobias Harris had a steal and a dunk and Cunningham completed it with a layup. Washington scored the next five points — a layup by Sarr and a triple from Kyshawn George — to tie it at 121-apiece.
Sarr’s dunk with 53 seconds left gave the Wizards a one-point lead. George made a steal and Carrington knocked down two free throws with 10 seconds to go. Tim Hardaway Jr. missed a 3-point try and Smart split free throws to seal Washington’s victory.
On Tuesday, the Pistons led by 14 after the first quarter and 17 at halftime. Washington was much more competitive the second time around.
The score was tied at 31 apiece after the first 12 minutes Thursday. Washington finished the half with a 10-4 run to take a 69-62 halftime lead.
Marcus Smart and Middleton led the way with 12 points apiece, while Cunningham carried the Pistons with 17.
The Wizards quickly stretched their lead to 13 points on 3-pointers from Sarr and Poole in the opening minute of the second half. The Pistons had a 9-0 spurt midway through the quarter to pull within four points. Washington reestablished a double-digit advantage with 4:54 left in the quarter on a Sarr 3-pointer.
It didn’t last long, as Detroit finished the quarter with a 20-4 run to take a 101-96 lead. Duren had a pair of dunks during that stretch and Cunningham had eight points, two blocks, an assist and a steal. Isaiah Stewart’s layup capped it off.
–Field Level Media
