NBA News Wire
NBA roundup: Wizards overcome 21-point deficit to win
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
WASHINGTON — Guard John Wall had 31 points and outdueled his former University of Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins as the Washington Wizards rallied from a 21-point deficit in the second half for a 113-97 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.
Wall had 20 points and 10 of his 12 assists in the second half for the Wizards, who outscored the Kings 67-33 in the second half. Forward Paul Pierce scored 17 points and swingman Rasual Butler added 14.
Washington has won three straight games and five of seven after losing six straight and 11 of 13.
Cousins led the Kings with 30 points, but the center went scoreless in the fourth quarter before fouling out as Sacramento blew a double-digit halftime lead for the second straight night. The Kings have lost seven of nine and finished 2-6 on their eight-game road trip.
Grizzlies 96, Bucks 83
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After getting the reboot during the end of a forgettable Eastern road swing, Memphis regained its balance as a team, and rolled to a win over Milwaukee before a sellout crowd of 18,119 at FedEx Forum.
Saturday, a sputtering Grizzlies offense found a modest spark by the end of the first quarter, and by game’s end, everybody seemed to get into the act.
All five Grizzlies starters finished in double figures, led by 17 points from struggling shooting guard Courtney Lee and 15 each from forwards Jeff Green and Zach Randolph. Beno Udrih, subbing for Mike Conley (ankle sprain) had 15 points while Marc Gasol had 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists despite missing some of the first half with a knee tweak.
Celtics 93, Pacer 89
INDIANAPOLIS — Center Tyler Zeller, a Washington, Ind., native, had 18 points and seven rebounds night, leading Boston to victory over Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The victory was the fourth straight for the Celtics, who got 16 points each from forward Brandon Bass, forward Jae Crowder and guard Avery Bradley. Bass sank two free throws with 5.3 seconds left to ice the game.
Guard George Hill led Indiana with a season-high 30 points to go with five rebounds and eight assists.
Nets 94, 76ers 87
PHILADELPHIA — Forward Thaddeus Young had 21 points and nine rebounds against his former team as Brooklyn held off Philadelphia, ending a five-game losing streak.
Young, acquired by the Nets Feb. 19 from Minnesota for forward Kevin Garnett, spent his first seven NBA seasons with Philadelphia. He had the highest point total of his 12-game tenure with Brooklyn, and capped a 6-0 run late in the game with a hook shot, after the Sixers cut an 11-point deficit to two, 87-85.
Guard Joe Johnson added 15 points for Brooklyn, which began the night 3 1/2 games behind Charlotte for the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot.
