It took two overtimes, but the Washington Wizards went on the road to defeat the Boston Celtics 125-124 after a valiant comeback.
Washington trailed 37-23 after the first quarter, but rallied in the second and third periods to get back into the game on Wednesday.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 34 points, nine assists and seven rebounds following the double-overtime victory.
Still playing without All-Star John Wall, the Wizards ran their offense through Beal, Otto Porter Jr. (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Markieff Morris (20 points, seven rebounds).
The Celtics, playing without Kyrie Irving (knee) and Al Horford (illness), were led by Marcus Morris' 31 points and nine rebounds. Terry Rozier added 21 points and nine assists.
With the loss, Boston (46-22) fell four-and-a-half games behind the Toronto Raptors for top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 117-106.
Playing without injured All-Star duo Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant led the way with 26 points for the Warriors.
DUO BRING THE MAGIC FOR ORLANDO
Jonathon Simmons and D.J. Augustin exploded to help lead the Orlando Magic to a 126-117 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. Simmons scored 35 points with four rebounds, and Augustin added 32 points and four assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 38 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
HEAT DEALT A BLOW IN POSTSEASON RACE
Fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat suffered a setback by losing 123-119 in overtime to the Sacramento Kings. Goran Dragic led Miami with 33 points, but losing to the Kings will sting when playoff seeding is decided.
WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS
Orlando Magic 126-117 Milwaukee Bucks
Sacramento Kings 123-119 (OT) Miami Heat
Washington Wizards 125-124 (Double OT) Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors 117-106 Los Angeles Lakers
CAVALIERS AT TRAIL BLAZERS
Tonight we make our final West Coast stop in Portland!#CavsBlazers PREVIEW: https://t.co/WGtBKh1Y2W#AllForOne pic.twitter.com/SgPiLY9L3K
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 15, 2018
The Cleveland Cavaliers enter Thursday's game stuck in mud, winning a couple then losing a couple. The Portland Trail Blazers, on the other hand, have won 10 straight to jump into third in the Western Conference standings. The guard duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum has inspired the winning run, which could help the Trail Blazers avoid the Houston Rockets and the Warriors as long as possible in the playoffs.
