One year ago on Nov. 24, the Wizards got a defensive assist from late owner Abe Pollin, whose spirit rimmed out a game-winning 3-pointer for Philadelphia on the day he sadly passed away.
Three weeks ago, Cartier Martin nailed a dramatic game-tying 3-pointer as Washington triumphed over the 76ers in overtime.
On Wednesday, rookie John Wall, returning from his first NBA injury layoff, hit three consecutive free throws to complete a fourth-quarter comeback from 15 points down and again send Washington into an extra period against its closest NBA rival.
Nick Young then knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner with 7.6 seconds remaining in overtime to clinch Washington’s 116-114 victory in front of 16,197 at Verizon Center.
Lifting Washington after a terribly sluggish first half, Wall finished with 25 points and six assists while JaVale McGee continued his stellar play in the paint with 24 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
Rookie Evan Turner (11 points) appeared to have clinched the victory for Philadelphia after scoring six straight points in the final 45 seconds. But after he missed a pair of free throws with eight seconds left, Jrue Holiday mistakenly fouled Wall near half court, sending him to the line with 3.5 seconds remaining.
McGee was utterly dominant on the offensive glass, where he pulled down 10 boards, also a career high. He needed only 17 minutes — four of which he spent on the bench — to register his fourth double-double of the year.
As much as McGee hunted for missed shots, he and the Wizards (5-8) couldn’t stop Elton Brand in the first half, when the Sixers forward continued his resurgent season by scoring 17 of his 19 points. But Brand got himself ejected after a blatant shove of McGee on a dunk late in the fourth quarter.
Wall returned to action after missing the previous four games with a sprained left foot but was weighed down by rust until well into the second half. The rookie point guard missed his first six shots from the field before hitting a free throw at the 8:34 mark of the third quarter and following it up with a tough bucket in the lane.
Wall’s first points set the Wizards off on a 17-3 run that included a quartet of 3-pointers after they had trailed by as many as 17 points just after halftime.
Andre Iguodala, who returned from a five-game injury absence, led the Sixers (3-11) with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
