Wizards 134, Raptors 129 (3 OT)

TORONTO – Guard John Wall scored 31 points and center Marcin Gortat also scored 31 points and added 12 rebounds and the Washington Wizards defeated the Toronto Raptors 134-129 in triple overtime on Thursday for their fifth win in a row.

Wall, who scored eight of his points in the three overtime periods, made a driving layup in the final minute of the third overtime to give the Wizards a four-point lead.

The Wizards (30-28) averted a sweep by the Raptors (32-26) in their four-game season series with the victory. The loss also ended Toronto’s three-game winning streak.

Forward Trevor Ariza added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards before fouling out in the third overtime. Forward Chris Singleton had 13 points while guards Andre Miller and Bradley Beal each scored 11. Beal added 10 rebounds.

Guard DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 34 points, and reserve guard Greivis Vasquez scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and added eight assists.

Toronto forward Amir Johnson scored 16 points and had nine rebounds before fouling out in the first overtime, and guard Kyle Lowry added 18 points and 10 assists before fouling out in the third overtime.

Raptors guard/forward Terrence Ross finished with 11 points before leaving the game during the second quarter with a sprained left ankle.

DeRozan scored the Raptors’ first four points of the third overtime to give them a 122-120 lead, but he missed two free throws that would have extended the lead. Beal tied it before Vasquez hit a 3-pointer.

The Wizards came back to tie on a layup and a free throw by Gortat as Lowry fouled out.

Ariza and forward/guard Martell Webster followed with layups and the Wizards led 131-127.

Forward Tyler Hansbrough missed two free throws on Gortat’s sixth foul. The Raptors got to the line again when Ariza fouled out, and DeRozan made both shots. But Wall restored the four-point lead with 28.9 seconds left.

DeRozan gave Toronto a 116-114 lead to open the second overtime. Gortat tied it with a dunk. Gortat made two free throws with 43.1 seconds left to put Washington ahead 118-116. Each team missed a shot before DeRozan tied the game on a layup with 2.7 seconds left. The Wizards then put the ball in the basket but after time expired, sending the game to the third overtime period.

Toronto scored the first four points of the first overtime. Beal made two free throws to cut the lead to two. Johnson restored the four-point lead with a dunk. Wall came back with a three-point play on a layup and free throw to cut the lead to one. Vasquez hit a jumper for a three-point Toronto lead.

After Johnson’s sixth foul, Wall made one of two free throws with 48.4 seconds left. Ariza’s steal set up Wall’s game-tying layup with 23.3 seconds left. Toronto had possession with 2.5 seconds left but Lowry’s shot attempt was rejected by guard Garrett Temple.

The Raptors trailed by five points after three quarters but tied the game at 85 early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Vasquez. The Wizards answered with a 6-0 spurt but another 3-pointer by Vasquez cut the lead to one with 6:30 left. It was tied at 95 after Johnson hit one of two foul shots.

Wall hit a jumper from the key to give the Wizards the lead and made one of two free throws for a three-point edge. Vasquez cut the lead to one. After Gortat gave the Wizards a three-point lead, forward Patrick Patterson tied the game at 102 with a 3-pointer with 1:39 left.

The game went into the final minute still tied. After a missed shot by the Wizards, the Raptors took a 106-104 lead when goaltending was called on a layup by Vasquez with 32.6 seconds left. But Gortat tied the game on a layup with 5.2 seconds to play, and Lowry missed a driving layup to send the game to overtime. Lowry fell heavily on the attempt and was shaken up.

Wall and Miller each scored nine points in the second quarter as the Wizards took a 57-54 half-time lead.

The Raptors held the Wizards to 36.4 percent shooting (8-for-22) from the field while shooting 52.6 percent (10-for-19) themselves in the first quarter to emerge with a 27-21 lead.

NOTES: Wizards F/C Nene (left knee MCL sprain) did not play after being injured Sunday. He is expected to be out for six weeks. …Washington C Kevin Seraphin (sore right knee) did not take part in the shootaround on Thursday, and he was ruled out for the game. He is listed as day to day. … F Drew Gooden was available to play in his first NBA game of the season after the Wizards signed him to a 10-day contract. He did not get into Thursday’s game, however… The Raptors’ victory at Cleveland on Tuesday made them 7-4 for February, assuring them of three consecutive months with a winning record for the first time since 2007. … The Raptors continue their three-game homestand Sunday against the Golden State Warriors and end it March 7 against the Sacramento Kings. … Washington plays the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday.