Wiz put up Wall in win
All-Star John Wall had 15 points and 14 assists in his first game in two months, Otto Porter Jr. had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and the Wizards beat the Charlotte Hornets, 107-93, yesterday in Washington to clinch their fourth playoff berth in five seasons.
Wall, who last played on Jan. 25 and had left knee surgery six days later, made his first shot of the game — a 3-pointer from the top of the key — and played 33 minutes.
Bradley Beal scored 22 points and hit 6-of-8 3-pointers as the Wizards tied a franchise high with 18 made shots from deep. Washington beat Charlotte for the first time in four tries this season.
The Wizards went 15-12 without Wall, but had lost four of five to slip into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game ahead of both Miami and Milwaukee entering yesterday.
Wall averaged 19.4 points and 9.3 assists in 37 games before the injury.
Dwight Howard had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who have now lost two straight after winning four in a row. Kemba Walker finished with seven points, just the fourth time this season the All-Star failed to reach double figures.
Trailing 51-50 at the half, Washington outscored the Hornets 37-23 in the third quarter and never looked back. Bradley Beal scored 14 points in the third, while Mike Scott had 11 of his 15 points in the quarter.
Pistons 115, Knicks 109 —
Andre Drummond narrowly missed a second straight 2020 game with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and visiting Detroit beat New York for its fourth straight victory.
Reggie Jackson and Anthony Tolliver each scored 17 points for the Pistons, who won for the sixth time in seven games despite playing without the injured Blake Griffin. Reggie Bullock added 16.
Drummond was 8-for-13 from the floor and the woeful free throw shooter was 6-of-8 from the line.
Elsewhere in the NBA —
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid had surgery to repair a broken bone around his left eye.
The team says there is no timetable for Embiid’s return.