The Washington Wizards took care of business tonight as they defeated the New York Knicks 101-87 Friday night. Washington rested several starters tonight but it didn’t stop their momentum as the Wizards role players filled in admirably.

John Wall dictated Washington’s pace tonight as he finished the game with six points and a career-high 18 assists. Wall accumulated more assists by himself than the Knicks tallied as a total team. Marcin Gortat led the Wizards in scoring with 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, while grabbing six rebounds and three blocks. Bradley Beal added 18 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field.

Paul Pierce and Nene were given the night off for rest. Otto Porter and Drew Gooden replaced them in the starting lineup and performed at a high level. Porter finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, while grabbing eight rebounds. Gooden was very active as he added nine points and 13 rebounds. Ramon Sessions came off the bench and scored 12 points, and Kris Humphries added eight points and seven rebounds.

The Knicks had five players score in double-figures tonight. Ricky Ledo came off the bench and led the Knicks with 21 points and nine rebounds. Shane Larkin and Quincy Acy scored 14 points apiece, while Langston Galloway dropped in 12 points. Lou Amundson had a near double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Washington controlled this game early as they got out to a 30-8 lead, led by Otto Porter who scored 10 of the Wizards 30 first quarter points. New York did come back a little in the second quarter as the Wizards only led 54-46 at halftime. The Wizards put the nail in the coffin when they went on a 13-5 run in the third quarter to lead 72-54.

The Wizards dominated the Knicks in every main statistical category tonight. They shot 46.2 percent from the field, while the Knicks shot 36.9 percent. Washington outrebounded New York 48-to-42, accumulated more assists 32-to-17, and dominated the paint 60-to-32.

Washington swept the four-game series. This is the second-straight year they have done so. The Knicks have lost nine games in a row, and will try to snap their streak Sunday night when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 PM EST. Washington has won three of their last four games, and will play the Memphis Grizzlies on the road Saturday night at 8:00 PM EST.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Parker White
Sports journalist from Midlothian, Virginia. Co-editor and writer for the NBA and MLB sections at VAVEL USA. Follow me on Twitter @spudwhite1022