ATLANTA — The playoffs are months away, but when two teams from the same division playing for the third time with postseason aspirations meet, the results can be enthralling.
That was the case last night at Philips Arena, where the Washington Wizards got huge defensive plays and made crucial free throws late to earn a 102-98 overtime victory over Atlanta.
“In the course of 82 games you are going to have those games where you are going to have to rely on your defense and slug it out,” said Washington’s Antawn Jamison, who pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds. “Tonight we did everything possible to win on the road.”
Not much to argue with there.
The Wizards shook off an Atlanta blitz at the end of the third quarter that saw the Hawks use an 18-4 run to energize their 16,064 fans. Washington got great defensive play out of Andray Blatche (five blocks), and DeShawn Stevenson, who hounded Hawks star Joe Johnson and came up with a huge block on him late.
And perhaps most importantly, they made their free throws, knocking down 22 of 24 for the game and went 9-for-10 from the stripe in overtime.
It all added up to a nice win for a team that is now 2-1 in overtime and 18-16 on the season. However, there will be no rest for the Wizards, who hopped on plane last night and got up knowing that they will have a hungry Boston team waiting on them tonight at Verizon Center.
“This was a big win for us tonight in overtime, and if we can beat Boston tomorrow that would be two good wins against two good teams,” said Stevenson, who finished with 19 points and two blocks.
Antonio Daniels (14 points, seven assists) hit a beautiful scoop shot with 37.5 seconds remaining in overtime to put the Wizards ahead for good 96-94.
The Hawks, led by Josh Smith’s 35 points, nine boards and three blocks, looked like the more athletic team for most of the night. But down the stretch the Wizards proved to be the more veteran group.
Meanwhile, the Hawks were just 12-for-22 from the free throw line.
“It was a tough loss,” Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. “We had our chances, and I thought they just wanted it a little bit more. We had an opportunity and I don’t think coming down the stretch we made two free throws in a row. Those were huge in a close game. They made plays and we just weren’t able to get it done.”
Jamison checked in with 22 points, and Caron Butler finished with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Blatche had 13 points and made it hard for Wizards coach Eddie Jordan to take him off the floor.
“I just wanted to come in and play with a lot of energy tonight,” Blatche said. “It was a tough game, but it’s good to get a win because we needed this.”
Johnson finished with 23 points and nine assists for the Hawks. He did not, however, score in overtime.
Marvin Williams finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, and rookie center Al Horford pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds.
Stevenson pulled the Wizards even in the fourth quarter when he sank a pair of free throws to make it 87-87, but neither team could finish off the other.
Butler had the final chance to put it away when he pulled the trigger on a potential game-winning 3-pointer. But Smith, one of the league’s leading shot-blockers, tipped it, forcing the game into overtime.
Last night at Philips Arena, Atlanta
QUOTABLE
“He’s still far behind as far as execution and rhythm, but we might give him some game time.”
— Wizards coach Eddie Jordan on rookie Oleksiy Pecherov, who went on to enter last night’s game with 8:35 left in the second quarter
SEEN AND HEARD
The game at Atlanta marked the first of four games in five nights for the Wizards. Washington plays host to Boston back at Verizon Center tonight, is off tomorrow and then on consecutive days play at Boston and New York — where the Knicks are booed so much these days the Wizards will feel like the home team.
Asked about how he felt playing four games in five nights, Jordan jokingly said, “Ask me that five nights from now.”
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