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Man, that was awesome. The Washington Wizards didn't play great last night, almost blowing a game they had in hand against a New York Knicks team that was ice cold from the field and down to it's third-string point guard.
But Bradley Beal, back after three weeks spent sidelined with a stress injury to his fibula, caught fire at the right time and scored 14 fourth-quarter points, including the game-winning layup with 6.9 seconds to play, in leading the Wizards to a 102-101 victory, their first at Madison Square Garden since 2006.
So good to have Beal back. But enough from me, let's get right into the Pixels.
KEY LINKS
Home team recaps: BF StoryStream | Washington Post | AP | CSN Washington (recap, Beal sidebar, Mike Woodson sidebar) | Wiz of Awes | DC Pro Sports Report | Grantland | SI | NBC Sports | Dime | District Sports Page | Wizards.com | Monumental Network
Road team recaps: Posting and Toasting (recap, 'Oral History' of final possessions) | SB Nation | NY Times | NY Daily News (gamer, notes) | NY Post (gamer, sidebar, Woodson column) | Wall Street Journal | ESPN NY | Buckets Over Broadway | Deadspin
Watch Beal's game winner over and over.
You know you want to hear Dave Johnson and Glenn Consor's calls of Beal's game-winner and his big-cojones three that tied the score at 100.
Postgame interviews: Randy Wittman | Bradley Beal | John Wall | Martell Webster | Marcin Gortat | Carmelo Anthony
KEY STATS
Last game, we marveled at Chris Paul's True Shooting Percentage of 1.008 against the Wizards. Yesterday, Martell Webster scored 30 points on 13 shots, good for a TS% of .933, which isn't quite as good as CP3's, but still pretty darn impressive.
14 - Points scored by Beal in the fourth quarter against the Knicks, including the game-winning layup. NBD.
TWEETS OF THE NIGHT
Bradley Beal had no idea the Knicks left 3 TOs on the table. "Did the really. Hooly." Later: "That probably could have changed a few things"
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) December 17, 2013
Can’t really put into words Beal’s expression there. He shrugged for a good five seconds, like a kid who found out Santa doesn’t exist.
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) December 17, 2013
Marcin Gortat on Beal’s layup. "I don’t know what [the Knicks] were trying to do. They screwed up."
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) December 17, 2013
If Mike Woodson is still the coach tomorrow, we can assume he walked in on James Dolan dry-humping a wall socket with cocaine on his face.
— Jim Cavan (@JPCavan) December 17, 2013
@andrewsharp You're welcome to live in our guest house. We play video games every night & talk about funny movie lines I know.
— danny rouhier (@funnydanny) December 17, 2013
— A Sad Wizards Fan (@_ThatGuyCorey) December 17, 2013
BONUS TROLLING FRANK ISOLA TWEETS OF THE NIGHT
At some point during the first half of last night's game, New York Daily News basketball writer Frank Isola had this to say on Twitter.
And John Wall cannot possibly play with any less intensity can he?
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) December 17, 2013
Wizards bloggers took note of Isola's tweet. Unfortunately for Isola, they also took note that Wall was on his way to 19 first-half points, along with five assists and four rebounds.
One of the many side effects rooting on a perpetually flailing franchise is that it turns you into a cold, cynical, arcastic, snarky smartass. This applies doubly (triply??) for bloggers, who only know one way to deal with an internet troll: Troll back, only harder. Thus, you can probably surmise how people reacted to Isola's tweet.
12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists RT @FisolaNYDN And John Wall cannot possibly play with any less intensity can he?
— Conor Dirks (@ConorDDirks) December 17, 2013
Uh, is Frank Isola actually watching the same game as every other human?
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
@ConorDDirks Little known fact: there's actually another guy named Frank Isola who makes publicly-known Frank Isola talk via arm up rectum.
— Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) December 17, 2013
My name is Frank Isola and I like to type words. Do words need to make sense? NO I say.
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
Nice of you to watch last week's game vs. the Hawks. RT "@FisolaNYDN: And John Wall cannot possibly play with any less intensity can he?"
— Umair Khan (@UKhanNBA) December 17, 2013
Carmelo Anthony cannot possibly live his entire life with any less intensity. Amirite or Amirite, Franky Baby? @FisolaNYDN
— Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) December 17, 2013
John Wall is the least intense player in the NBA. John Wall playing with zero intensity. #IsolaTalk
— Conor Dirks (@ConorDDirks) December 17, 2013
Actually, if Frank Isola actually thinks John Wall plays without passion, he must really love the Felton show.
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
John Wall may look "magnificent" but his emotion and intensity are really letting me down.
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
How many units of intensity will John Wall have in the second half?
— Conor Dirks (@ConorDDirks) December 17, 2013
Someone get Otto Porter strapped to an IV so we can donate some intensity to John Wall
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
John Wall's lack of intensity. #NBABallot
— Conor Dirks (@ConorDDirks) December 17, 2013
John Wall played those last two minutes like he read on Twitter that some NYK writer questioned his intensity.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) December 17, 2013
Man, John Wall’s intensity is trailing JR Smith’s intensity on #NBABallot by 40K votes
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
Don't forget to vote for John Wall's lack of intensity on http://t.co/aRAL3gklUZ for the No Intensity All-Star team.
— Conor Dirks (@ConorDDirks) December 17, 2013
NY Beat writers, stirring up the interwebs since 2004.
— McCarrick (@McCarrick) December 17, 2013
So, no one likes Isola?
— dc_fusion (@dc_fusion) December 17, 2013
You're welcome, internet.
VIDEO/GIF OF THE NIGHT
Take a wild guess. (H/T @tjackson85)
GAMETHREAD COMMENT OF THE NIGHT
Beal's winner got you all pretty excited.
GAMETHREAD ROLLCALL
