NBA Game Summary - Toronto at Washington
Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Pierce was the man down the stretch for the Washington Wizards as they took a commanding 3-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Pierce scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter -- including a couple of clutch 3-pointers -- to help the Wizards to a 106-99 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 on Friday night.
Marcin Gortat had 24 points with 13 rebounds, John Wall contributed 19 points and 15 assists and Bradley Beal added 16 points for Washington, which will look to close out the series at home on Sunday.
No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.
DeMar DeRozan scored 22 of his playoff career-high 32 in the first half to lead the Raptors, who had won three straight in Washington. Amir Johnson finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.
Kyle Lowry, who fouled out in Game 1 and left Game 2 with an ankle injury, scored 15 points on 5-of-22 shooting and dished out seven assists.
"From the start of the game to the end of the game I thought our guys competed. Of course, at the end of the game (the Wizards) made some big plays," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said.
Toronto held a one-point lead early in the fourth when Wall drove the lane, spun to the right and finished with a layup plus the free throw. Beal followed with a jumper that gave the Wizards a 77-73 lead.
Terrence Ross' 3-pointer tied the game at 88-88 prior to Otto Porter answering at the other end with a trey. Washington led by two with just over 2 1/2 minutes left and Porter buried another triple before Pierce canned one from beyond the arc for a 98-90 lead.
"You're not playing against chopped liver. Paul Pierce has won an NBA championship," Casey said.
The margin was six when Ross picked off an errant pass by Porter and Lowry finished at the other end with a runner. Following two free throws from Pierce, Lowry quickly knocked down a contested 3-pointer that cut the Raptors deficit to three.
Toronto chose not to foul and let the Wizards play out their possession. But Pierce delivered the dagger with a hesitated 3 with 16.9 seconds left.
"Otto hit two big ones and Paul's two (3-pointers) at the end were huge. That's why we brought him here. He's not scared of the moment," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said.
DeRozan supplied seven points during a 12-2 run that gave the Raptors a 28-18 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter. Washington ended the quarter with the final seven points to cut its deficit to 35-33.
"They came out blazing. Both teams did actually," said Wittman. "We didn't really settle in until the second."
Toronto made the first two baskets of the second quarter, but after Patrick Patterson's 3-pointer, the Raptors scored just two points over the next 7:14.
The Wizards took advantage with a 13-2 run during the cold spell with Gortat's free throw helping them to a 46-42 advantage. Johnson's layup tied the game moments later, then Washington closed the half on an 8-2 run for a 54-48 lead.
Nene's layup early in the third pushed Washington's lead to nine, but the Raptors chipped away and took a 68-67 lead on Johnson's layup with under two minutes left. Wall converted a layup to cap the third-quarter scoring and put the Wizards up 72-70 entering the fourth.