The Washington Times

Bradley Beal’s jumper stuns Thunder

Bradley Beal didn’t have a plan. What he had was a good move.

Beal made a jumper with 0.3 seconds left Monday night, lifting the short-handed Washington Wizards a 101-99 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who missed 16 straight shots at one stretch.

Beal used a pump fake to get open for the 16-footer that gave the Wizards (5-28) their second win this season over last year’s NBA finalists.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do to be honest with you,” Beal said. “Coach just said go make a play.”

Once Beal sent the Thunder (26-8) to the showers, they were doused with cold water in the away arena.

The Wizards (5-28), playing without their top two scorers, had lost 13 of their previous 14, but they also beat the Miami Heat earlier in the season. Beal and Martell Webster led the Washington with 22 points each.

Kevin Seraphin added 19 points, and Emeka Okafor had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Kevin Durant, who had 29 points, drove through the lane for a thunderous dunk to cut Oklahoma City’s deficit to 95-94 with just more than two minutes left. Martell Webster answered with a four-point play to give the Wizards a 99-94 lead.

Then, Ibaka made a jumper, and Durant made a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left to tie the game at 99.

“I thought we had a chance,” Russell Westbrook said. “We just had to get a stop. But the way the game had been going for us throughout the game, it wouldn’t surprise me if they would make a game-winner.”

Durant and Westbrook each scored 20 points in Oklahoma City’s last five games, but Westbrook finished with just 17 points Monday.

Serge Ibaka stepped up as Durant’s complement, scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

The Thunder’s cold stretch lasted from midway through the third quarter to midway through the fourth quarter, and they made just 43 percent of their shots and 24 percent of their 3-pointers for the game.

“We let them stick around, because we’re not taking them serious enough,” Durant said. “We can’t do that, man. We can’t do that.”

Nene (right knee tendinitis) and Jordan Crawford (sore left ankle) missed the game with injuries.

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