Wizards end 22-game skid in San Antonio, beat Spurs 127-106
SAN ANTONIO — Deni Avdija had a career-high 25 points, Bradley Beal had 21 points and the Washington Wizards ended a 22-game losing streak to the Spurs in San Antonio with a 127-106 victory Monday night.
Kristaps Porzingis had 17 points and nine rebounds after a fast start for the Wizards, who had last won here on Dec. 11, 1999. Washington has won six straight for its longest winning streak since a six-game run in 2015.
Keldon Johnson had 26 points, Jeremy Sochan added 17 and Zach Collins had 16 for the Spurs, who have lost six straight to fall to 2-13 this month.
The Wizards led 63-55 at halftime and never trailed in the second half. The Spurs closed within four points midway through the third quarter, but Washington responded with an 8-0 run to regain a double-digit advantage.
The Spurs are 0-35 this season when trailing by double digits.
Porzingis scored Washington’s first five points, including cutting to the rim for an uncontested two-handed dunk to open the game. San Antonio struggled to defend Porzingis, who scored 13 of the Wizards’ first 19 points. Jakob Poeltl picked up two fouls in the opening four minutes, forcing the Spurs to bring Zach Collins in sooner than usual.
After scoring 13 points in the opening quarter, Porzingis was scoreless in the next two periods and had four points in the fourth.
Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert took over after the first quarter, combining to score 42 in the final three periods.
Kendrick Nunn added 10 points, giving him double-digit scoring in all three games since being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers for Rui Hachimura.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington’s longest winning streak in franchise history is nine straight, which it accomplished in 2002, 1979, 1975, 1970 and 1969. … Washington is 12-16 on the road, two victories shy of matching last season’s win total away from home. … Kuzma and Delon Wright were reunited with Poeltl, their teammate with the Utah Utes in 2015. … Nunn received a technical foul 7 seconds into the second quarter after complaining about a non-call. After stripping possession from Blake Wesley, Nunn thought he was fouled on a layup attempt that was knocked out of bounds by the Spurs’ rookie. San Antonio F Doug McDermott missed the free throw.
Spurs: San Antonio has allowed 100-plus points in six straight games and in all but one of its past 27 games. .. Sochan has scored in double figures in seven straight games and in 10 of his past 12. … G Josh Richardson did not play after being upgraded to probable several hours before tipoff. Richardson missed his third straight game with a sore left knee. … Collins suffered a bloody nose that forced officials to stop play with 2.8 seconds left in the first quarter. Keldon Johnson re-entered the game in place of Collins.
UP NEXT
Wizards: At Detroit on Wednesday night.
Spurs: Host Sacramento on Wednesday night.
