Kings 96, Wizards 94
By Benjamin Standig, The Sports Xchange
WASHINGTON -- Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points and made the game-winning floater with 1.9 seconds remaining as the Sacramento Kings snapped a four-game losing streak with a 96-94 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
Francisco Garcia had four 3-pointers and 17 points for the Kings, while Tyreke Evans scored 13. The Kings (17-29) trailed after each of the first three quarters in a game that had 11 lead changes and 16 ties.
Emeka Okafor had a season-high 23 points and 15 rebounds, and John Wall scored 19 for the Wizards (11-32), who were one victory away from their longest home court winning streak since the 2006-07 season.
In the game's final 2:14, Thomas put the Kings in front three times. First, the second-year guard broke an 88-all tie with a free throw, and then made a running floater with 1:10 remaining after a Wall layup. Evans made 3-of-4 free throws with another Wall basket in between, putting the Kings ahead 94- 92.
Martell Webster scored 18 points for Washington and his layup tied the game for the final time, setting up Thomas' heroics. The 5-foot-9 guard penetrated into the lane and his lofted attempt over 6-foot-6 Garrett Temple found nothing but net. Sacramento stole the inbounds pass, sealing its second tight win over Washington this season.
Sacramento won the opening meeting 95-94 on Jan. 16.
During the losing streak, the Kings allowed 111.5 points per game.
DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and Marcus Thornton 11 for the Kings, who survived a 15-of-25 effort at the free throw line.
Washington had won 7 of 10 games and its last four home victories all by double digits.
After tallying 15 points and 16 rebounds in Saturday's 86-73 over Chicago, Okafor scored 14 in the first quarter and finished the opening half with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Okafor and Wall made a combined 13 of 16 field goal attempts in the first half, and the Wizards shot
56.1 percent in the first half for a 57-53 halftime lead before a crowd of 13,422.
Coming off the Kings' bench, Garcia and Marcus Thornton made five of seven from beyond the arc starting the second quarter. The flurry briefly put Sacramento in the lead, but Wall scored six points during a 13-6 run to close the quarter.
Fouled while shooting a 3-pointer in the second quarter, Webster made the deep attempt and the subsequent free throw for his NBA-leading fifth four-point play of the season.
Okafor's 23 points were his most in any game since November 5, 2010, when he scored 26 for New Orleans against Miami.
John Salmons started and played the entire first quarter for the Kings, but did not return for the remainder of the game due to a stomach virus, finishing without a point.
NOTES: In his first professional game played in the Nation's Capital, Kings rookie forward and Washington, D.C. area native Thomas Robinson finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. ... Emeka Okafor started the season averaging a career double-double, but his rebounding dipped into single digits following a slow start. Recent production suggests the veteran center will return to that lofty status soon enough. After zero double-doubles during the opening 24 games, Okafor now has 10 in the last 20 games. ... The Kings continue their season-high six-game road trip Wednesday at Boston. ... After three straight home games, the Wizards play their next three on the road, starting Wednesday at Philadelphia.
