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CHARLOTTE — JaVale McGee scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds as the Washington Wizards defeated the Charlotte Bobcats for the second time in a week, 102-99 on Saturday night.
The matchup between two teams tied for the fewest wins in the NBA came down to the final shot, but Matt Carroll's 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.
McGee had a chance to seal the game with less than 6 seconds to go, but missed two foul shots. But that was about all McGee didn't do right, as shot 9 of 14 from the field. Like many others this season, McGee exposed Charlotte's poor interior defense, using an effective hook shot in the lane.
John Wall added 13 points and 10 assists for the Wizards (4-16).
The Wizards also got 21 points from Nick Young, while reserves Trevor Booker and Jordan Crawford chipped in with 16 and 12 points, respectively.
Kemba Walker became the third Bobcats (3-18) player to register a triple-double, recording 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The 6-foot-1 Walker joined Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw as the only players in franchise history to record such a feat.
Diaw, back in the starting lineup for the Bobcats, had 21 points and 10 assists. Byron Mullens scored 23 points, while Carroll and Tyrus Thomas each added 13.
The Bobcats have lost eight straight.
The Wizards held the lead for most of the game, but the Bobcats battled back from 12 points down to take the lead at 92-90 on a dunk by Mullens. But that lead was short-lived as McGee hit a running hook in the lane two possessions later to give the Wizards a 96-94 lead they would never relinquish.
Trailing 102-99 with 41.2 seconds left, the Bobcats had a chance to tie, but burned almost the entire 24-second clock unable to get a look at an open 3-pointer as the Wizards stepped up the defense. Eventually, Diaw drove the lane but missed and McGee quickly grabbed the rebound.
The Bobcats immediately fouled.
McGee missed both shots and the Bobcats called timeout with 4.6 seconds left.
Carroll got a good look on the ensuing inbounds play, but his 3-point attempt to tie the game hit off the front rim.
Notes: Washington shot 53 percent from the field and won despite being outrebounded by the smaller Bobcats 42-32. ... The Bobcats were playing without five players, including their two leading scorers: Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin. Augustin has missed the last four games with a toe injury, while Henderson sat out after re-injuring his back in Friday night's loss to the 76ers.
