National Basketball Association
Washington 117, LA Clippers 110
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
Officials: #60 James Williams, #32 Marat Kogut, #24 Mike Callahan
Attendance: 17380

WASHINGTON -- The Los Angeles Clippers have lost confidence in their defense. Bradley Beal and the Wizards took advantage.

Beal had 41 points and six 3-pointers as the surging Washington Wizards rallied past the Clippers for a 117-110 win on Sunday evening.

Markieff Morris scored 23 points and John Wall added 18 points and 11 assists for the Wizards (12-14), who set a season high with their third straight win. Washington made 12 of 15 field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter, and finished 53.1 percent from the field and sank 10 of 19 3-point attempts.

The Wizards overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half and trailed the Clippers (20-8) 102-95 midway through the fourth quarter.

"That's terrible," Clippers star Chris Paul said of their defensive effort. "We have to figure it out. They were just too comfortable tonight. We gave them everything they wanted. "

Beal was comfortable and bold throughout. In his second 40-point game on the young season, Beal finished 13 of 23 from the floor and his sixth 3-pointer tied the game at 102-102 with 5:01 left.

Marcin Gortat's three-point play with 3:03 remaining put the Wizards up for good at 109-106.

Los Angeles opened its three-game road trip 2-0 and had won four straight overall.

Washington has won five of six games.

"I think we understand each other a little bit better and that we all bought into the system," Gortat said of Washington's turnaround. "Just execution defensively is better."

Blake Griffin had 26 points for the Clippers but zero in the fourth quarter. Paul collected 13 points and 12 assists, and DeAndre Jordan chipped in 13 points and 17 rebounds.

Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers was ejected after picking up two technical fouls with 1:08 remaining moments after Morris hit consecutive jumpers for a 114-108 lead. Rivers said he didn't think his questioning of a foul call on Paul warranted a technical. He also thought his side's defense in the second half didn't justify a win.

Los Angeles shot 49.4 percent from the field, but couldn't stop Washington's offense from scoring 65 points in the second half.

"I thought they were far more physical than us in the second half," Rivers said of the Wizards. "I thought we attacked them in the first half. I thought we attacked them at the beginning of third, but once they smelled blood in the water, I thought they were on the attack. I thought we played on our heels, both ends."

Beal entered Sunday averaging a career-high 22.0 points per game in his breakout season.

"This is the Bradley Beal he should be all the time," Paul said of the fifth-year player with a textbook jumper who has added an aggressive dribble-drive element.

Beal scored a career-high 42 points against Phoenix on Nov. 21.

"I notice it, but I'm still not perfect," Beal said of his growth. "My game is still not where I want it to be. It's developing for sure. I'm definitely a lot more confident in my game, but I'm my biggest critic. I always want to get better."

Los Angeles scored the final five points of the second quarter for a 55-52 halftime lead and opened the third with a 10-2 spurt to take its largest lead at 65-54. Beal sparked Washington's rally with 18 points and three 3-pointers as the Clippers led 87-85 entering the fourth.

Austin Rivers scored five points during a 7-0 run that turned a tied game into a 102-95 Clippers lead midway through the final period. Washington countered once again.

Griffin took advantage of Washington's limited frontcourt depth with 18 first half points on 7 of 11 shooting before the crowd of 17,380, but went 0 for 3 in the fourth.

Washington played without key bench contributor Kelly Oubre Jr. The second-year forward entered the concussion protocol program following an injury against Detroit.

J.J. Redick scored 17 points and Marreese Speights added 14 for the Clippers.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute started and had six points in 17 minutes for the Clippers after missing the previous two games with a right shoulder sprain.

Paul finished two points shy of 15,000 for his career.

NOTES: Washington played without F Jason Smith, who suffered a hamstring injury in Friday's win over Detroit. Rookie G Sheldon McClellan was with the team following his recall from the D-League. He played six games with the Delaware 87ers. ... Clippers F Alan Anderson played for the Wizards last season while F Paul Pierce keyed Washington's 2015 playoff run to the Eastern Conference semifinals. ... Los Angeles swept the season series in five of the previous seven seasons. ... Washington opens a three-game road trip against Central Division opponents on Monday at the Indiana Pacers. The Wizards are 2-8 on the road this season. ... Los Angeles returns home for three straight games, starting with the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
Top Game Performances
 
LA Clippers   Washington
Blake Griffin 26 Scoring Bradley Beal 41
Chris Paul 12 Assists John Wall 11
DeAndre Jordan 17 Rebounds Markieff Morris 9
Blake Griffin 6 Free Throws Made Bradley Beal 9
Chris Paul 2 Steals Markieff Morris 3
DeAndre Jordan 1 Blocks Marcin Gortat 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
LA Clippers 110 49.4 7-24 17-24 28 40 1 7 15
Washington 117 53.1 10-19 21-30 24 33 4 10 15
Upcoming Games
  • Washington will play their next game on the road against Indiana. The Wizards have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .571 after a loss.
  • LA Clippers will play their next game at home against Denver. The Clippers have a W/L % of .762 after a win and .571 after a loss.