Wizards Swat Hornets 83-80

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 15, 1998 / 12:00 AM EST / CBS Sportsline

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets were battling to extend the longest winning streak in franchise history. The Washington Wizards were fighting for something bigger.

While Charlotte went into Saturday night's game in fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff chase, the Wizards are trying to stay in the hunt for the eighth and final berth going into the last five weeks of the season.

"Don't get me wrong. We're glad we snapped their winning streak," Washington's Chris Webber said after the Wizards' 83-80 victory. "But we're not really concerned with Charlotte. They're in the playoffs. They could probably lose 10 in a row and still be in. We're more concerned with us right now. We don't care who we beat. We just need to get some wins."

Webber's runner in the lane with 13 seconds left provided the winning margin as Washington halted Charlotte's club-record 10-game winning streak.

Webber finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Wizards overcame a nearly six-minute stretch without a field goal in the fourth quarter to win for the third time in four games.

"This is a big win," Webber said. "If we had let this one slip away, oh man, I don't even want to think about it."

Washington's Terry Davis had his best game of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Rod Strickland added 15 points and nine assists.

Charlotte's offense bogged down after Anthony Mason left with a sprained ankle late in the second quarter. The Hornets shot 50 percent in the first half but 33 percent the rest of the way, losing for the first time in seven home games.

"We'll be able to rebound from this," said Glen Rice, who led the Hornets with 27 points. "Every streak comes to an end. It's just unfortunate that this one ended when we had a chance to win."

J.R. Reid, filling in for Mason, scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets rallied after shooting 19 percent in the third quarter and being held to a season-low 11 points.

"I thought this was a winnable game for us despite Mason going out," coach Dave Cowens said. "We tried switching defenses and personnel until we could find the right mix. Once we started running the offense in the fourth quarter, we did well despite having a miserable third quarter."

There were five ties and three lad changes in the final 3½ minutes before Charlotte's David Wesley misfired on a 19-footer and Washington's Calbert Cheaney got the rebound with 32 seconds left, setting up the decisive basket.

Webber drove the middle of the lane and hit a 6-foot runner that made it 82-80, then harassed Reid into a traveling violation on the other end. That led to a free throw by Strickland that accounted for the final margin.

Charlotte got one last chance with 2.4 seconds left, but Bobby Phills couldn't handle an inbounds pass and bobbled the ball out of bounds.

"Chris went in hard and greedy and made the big shot," Washington coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "We earned what we got tonight."

Mason had 16 points and nine rebounds before twisting his right ankle late in the final minute of the first half. He did not return. Dr. Glenn Perry, the Hornets' physician, classified the injury as a mild sprain and said Mason would be listed as day-to-day.

The Hornets built a 50-49 lead in the third quarter before missing 12 of their last 13 field-goal attempts, clearing the way for Washington to take a 10-point lead into the last quarter.

Notes: Washington's Juwan Howard missed his 16th consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. ... The last time the Wizards were in town, on Dec. 10, Strickland and teammate Tracy Murray got into a fight at the team's suburban Charlotte hotel before the game. From all indications, everyone behaved themselves this time. ... Charlotte had won eight of 10 and 18 of 24 against the Wizards.