Wall scores 21, Gortat adds 18 as Wizards beat Kings

WASHINGTON — Wizards point guard John Wall isn’t known for his 3point shooting.

Don’t tell that to the Sacramento Kings.

Wall had 21 points and nine assists, Marcin Gortat scored 18 and Washington beat Sacramento 110-92 on Monday night for its third straight win.

Wall shot 8 of 9 from the field, including 4 for 4 from 3-point range. In two games against the Kings, he has 40 points and is 9 for 10 from long distance. In his other 10 games, he is 5 for 32.

“I think I’m taking the same exact shots,” Wall said. “I’m just making them against them for some reason. Everybody else I be, clank.”

Otto Porter Jr. and reserve Mike Scott chipped in 15 points apiece as six Wizards scored in double figures.

After losing to the Mavericks 113-99 in the opener of a four-game homestand, the Wizards outscored the Lakers, Hawks and Kings by an average of 111-94.

“Intensity changed. We definitely locked in more defensively,” Gortat said of Washington’s turnaround after losing three straight home games overall.

“We really took it personally. We had teams like Phoenix and Dallas coming in here and punking us in front of our own crowd. It’s not nice. It’s definitely not nice. We all get a lot of fire from that.”

George Hill led Sacramento with 16 points, while Zach Randolph and Buddy Hield each had 12. The Kings have lost the first two games on their three-game road trip.