Rookie one rip shy of triple-double in win
The first Washington Wizards home game of the 2010-11 season was billed as a matchup between the top two picks of the 2010 NBA Draft class: Wizards’ No. 1 overall selection John Wall and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Evan Turner, the No. 2 pick.
It was no contest, as Wall (29 points, 13 assists, 9 steals) nearly finished off his first professional triple-double leading the Wizards to a 116-115 victory. The rookie point guard’s nine steals matched a franchise record.
“He’s got an unbelievable will to win,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said of Wall. “When you get nine steals in a game, you just change the complexion of the game.”
Cartier Martin had his time in the limelight, too. Coming off the end of Washington’s bench, Martin hit a desperation leaning 3-pointer at the fourth-quarter buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Once in the extra period, Andray Blatche (23 points, 8 rebounds) overcame three overtime turnovers, and the collective groan from the Verizon Center crowd, when he was given the ball on the game’s deciding possession. Blatche drew contact and hit a pair of game-winning free throws with 7.1 seconds remaining to give the Wizards (1-2) their first victory of the season.
Lou Williams came off the bench to score 30 points and Turner scored all nine of his points in the fourth quarter for the winless Sixers (0-4). Philadelphia came back from 11 points down in the third quarter to nearly walk away with the win.
After watching a 3D video piece to introduce the team, the crowd of 17,803 took their tinted glasses off and saw Wall show them in live action that his right ankle was up to the task of handling his first Wizards home game. The rookie performed an extended version of “The Dougie” dance — not the tea-kettle fist move that had been his signature at Kentucky — when his name was announced.
Washington was mightily out of rhythm for most of the first quarter. Blatche scored the arena’s first bucket of the year, but missed his next four shots and finished the half 2-for-9 from the field. Wall’s struggles came at the other end, where he couldn’t stop second-year point guard Jrue Holiday from putting up eight points as the 76ers raced out to a 20-6 lead in the opening eight minutes.
But the Wizards gathered themselves and gave hints of the defense they’re capable of playing. When Wall found Martin for an open 3-pointer just before the end of the first quarter, the Wizards had whittled the margin to 28-27.
Nick Young (20 points) sparked the Wizards’ second unit in the second quarter. He used his height advantage to score 10 of his 15 points in the half, including consecutive buckets over Holiday that put Washington back in front for the first time since the game’s opening possession. The Wizards carried a 50-48 advantage into the half.
