Wizards secure tightly-contested victory over Jazz

Kyshawn George had 23 points and seven rebounds, helping the Washington Wizards post a 125-122 win over the visiting Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

Alexandre Sarr added 21 points, while Justin Champagnie scored 17. Khris Middleton also had 14, as the Wizards won their second game in three tries. Marcus Smart chipped in 13 points, followed by Bub Carrington's 12 points and nine assists, and Bilal Coulibaly's 11 points.

Johnny Juzang's season-high 27 points paced Utah, while Kyle Filipowski collected 23 points and 13 rebounds. Isaiah Collier had 19 points, Brice Sensabaugh scored 15 and Cody Williams added 12. Svi Mykhailiuk had 11 points. Oscar Tshiebwe pulled down 13 boards. The Jazz dropped their third straight. Utah had a chance to tie the game on the final possession, but Sensabaugh's 3-pointer missed with 1.0 second remaining.

Following its seven-point halftime-lead, Washington's 14-5 run -- which was stamped with Carrington's five straight points -- gave the Wizards a 76-60 lead. Carrington's dunk was then followed by Juzang's jumper and Filipowski's layup, jumpstarting a 9-0 Utah spurt.

The Jazz got their deficit down to two with 33.2 seconds left in the third quarter on Sensabaugh's free throws, but Smart's ensuing trey gave the Wizards a five-point edge entering the fourth quarter.

Juzang and Mykhailiuk's 3-pointers opened the fourth quarter and tied the game at 97. Champagnie's triple and Corey Kispert's free throw then stamped a 10-2 Wizards' run to pull ahead by eight with seven minutes left.

A 7-0 Utah run then cut its deficit to one, but Coulibaly's back-to-back baskets built a 111-106 edge. Williams' layup trimmed Washington's lead to 120-117 with 1:10 remaining, but Middleton answered with a layup on the ensuing possession. Filipowski's hook shot again pulled Utah within three with 15 seconds left. George made two free throws, but Juzang's triple cut the Jazz's deficit to two with five seconds remaining, before Coulibaly split a pair of foul shots.

After the score was tied at 32 entering the second quarter, George's 3-pointer and Sarr's hook shot stamped an 11-2 Washington run. Williams then scored five of Utah's 7-0 run that pulled the Jazz within two midway through the second quarter.

Filipowski's layup cut Utah's deficit to two with less than three minutes left in the first half, before Middleton's jumper and Coulibaly's triple gave Washington a 56-49 lead. Collier's buzzer-beating layup trimmed the Jazz's halftime-deficit to 62-55.

--Field Level Media