Nick Young Hits Winning Three To Give Wizards Their Second Dramatic Overtime Win Over Sixers This Season

The Wizards appear to have a heart-stopping formula to beat the Sizers. Just as they did in their first meeting at the Verizon Center, Washington got three points in the waning seconds to tie the game and send it to overtime. Instead of a dramatic Cartier Martin three-pointer, it was John Wall sinking three free throws that tied it.

Nick Young hit a three from the corner with 7.6 seconds left to give the Wizards a 116-114 victory. On the Sixers’ last possession, Andre Iguodala missed a runner with seconds to spare, but the ensuing scramble for the rebound on the floor killed the rest of the clock.

The top two picks in this year’s NBA Draft figured heavily in the end of regulation of the Wizards-76ers game on Tuesday night.

With the Sixers leading 106-103 with less than 10 seconds remaining, Evan Turner went to the line and missed both free throws. John Wall got the ball and was fouled by Jrue Holliday near midcourt as Wall heaved a desperation three-point shot with 3.5 seconds left. Wall went to the line and nailed all three free throws to tie the game. Turner missed a buzzer beater desperation shot on the other end and the game went to overtime, just as it did the last time the Sixers visited Washington.

This game started out as flat as could be. Neither team could make a basket in the first two minutes. Both teams were only able to get points on the board by shooting free throws. Fortunately they were finally able to get some shots to fall.

For the Wizards, JaVale McGee has been contributing in ways that the box score wont show by altering shots and playing great defense. For the 76ers, Elton Brand has been providing just about all of the offense. Andre Iguodala is also scoring well, but he’s getting his points from the free throw line, already having gone 4-4.

Wall experienced some soreness in practice this week and will be a game-time decision, according to Wizards coach Flip Saunders. Saunders also said Wall went through the entire practice and did some scrimmaging, and will need clearance from the team’s medical staff in order to play.

“We got past this one, now we’ve got to go on to the next one with our heads on straight,” Young said. “We can’t live off one win, we’ve got to get more, more, more.”