Wizards Whip Warriors 110-87
Chris Webber and Tracy Murray burned the Golden State Warriors again, combining for 50 points as the Washington Wizards rolled to a 110-87 victory Thursday night.
Webber and Murray scored 19 of the Wizards' first 24 points in the third quarter as Washington built a 17-point lead.
Murray scored an NBA season-high 50 points against the Warriors two weeks ago, while Webber had triple-doubles in his previous three games against his former team.
Neither matched those feats this time, but Murray hit four 3-pointers in a 24-point performance and Webber finished with 26 points and eight rebounds. It was only Webber's second game back after missing almost the entire month with a shoulder injury,
Rod Strickland added 20 points and 13 assists for Washington, which moved above the .500 mark at 29-28.
Jim Jackson scored 18 points for Golden State, while Donyell Marshall had 17 and Clarence Weatherspoon 16. The Warriors are 2-2 since obtaining Weatherspoon and Jackson four games ago in a trade with Philadelphia.
Down 50-42 at halftime, the Warriors cut the lead to 52-50 when Weatherspoon stripped Webber and went the length of the floor for a breakaway dunk.
But Webber countered with his own power move, drawing a foul on Erick Dampier and completing a three-point play that started a 20-5 run. Murray hit two 3-pointers and had a three-point play during the spurt.
Meanwhile, the Warriors were unable to handle the Wizards' pressure defense, committing a shot-clock violation and a 10-second violation as the Wizards pulled away.
Golden State pulled within nine points in the fourth quarter on back-to-back jumpers by Tony Delk, but consecutive fast-break dunks by Calbert Cheaney got the lead up to 15 midway through the quarter.
The Warriors started the game by making 10 of their first 13 shots to take a 23-14 lead, but the Wizards rallied with three consecutive inside baskets to tie it 25-25 at the end of the first quarter. Washington kept the momentum in the second, with Murray hitting three jumpers to help build an eight-point halftime lead.
Notes: Golden State's Felton Spencer missed the game due to personal matters. ... Washington's Juwan Howard his eighth straight game with a sprained ankle. ... The Wizards have won the last five games in the series. ... Jason Caffey, acquired last week from the Chicago Bulls, failed to score in his third game with the Warriors.
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