OAKLAND, Calif. – Monta Ellis had 37 points and 13 assists, leading the Golden State Warriors past the road-weary Washington Wizards, 114-104 on Sunday night.
Ellis played the entire game and added seven rebounds, and David Lee had a season-high 33 points to help the Warriors to their second straight victory. Ellis was three rebounds short of his first career triple-double entering the fourth quarter and never came closer.
JaVale McGee had a career-high 28 points and tied his career best with 18 rebounds, and Maurice Evans scored 23 points for the Wizards, who have lost four straight and 10 of their last 11 games. They also dropped to 1-35 on the road this season.
About the only thing either team is still playing for is pride.
Both are already assured of missing the playoffs — the Warriors (32-42) were officially eliminated when Memphis beat San Antonio earlier Sunday, and the Wizards (17-55) are closer to the league's worst record than anything resembling the postseason — so there wouldn't seem to be a ton of motivation left.
Not that it showed.
The teams were in a constant sprint from the outset and traded baskets with little regard for defense. The Wizards, whose only road victory came at Cleveland on Feb. 13, had a rare night when they were competitive on the road.
For a half, anyway.
Then everything unraveled — as it always seems to away from home for the Wizards — after the break, and it didn't help that starter Nick Young had to sit out the second half with a sore left knee. The Warriors started the third quarter on a 19-8 run that was capped by their most spectacular series.
Ekpe Udoh swatted a shot by Othyus Jeffers off the backboard, and Ellis sprinted up court to lead the fast break. He dished the ball to Lee for a dunk and the foul over No. 1 overall pick John Wall, and Wizards coach Flip Saunders added to his team's misfortunes with a technical foul for arguing.
A few plays later, Ellis added to his acrobatic night with a complete back-to-the-basket spin in the air and finished with a reverse layup over Evans that brought fans to their feet. Golden State went ahead by 11 points later in the third quarter
Although the Wizards came within a point early in the fourth quarter, they were never able to tie the score or sustain any type of momentum. The Warriors quickly went back ahead by double digits and cruised to the victory.
NOTES: Warriors C Andris Biedrins missed his sixth straight game with a severely sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out at least another two games. ... Washington F Trevor Booker did not play after injuring his right foot in a loss at Denver on Friday. Saunders said he wasn't sure how long the injury could sideline Booker but would not rule him out for the season just yet. ... The Warriors recalled G Jeremy Lin from the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League. He will rejoin the team at Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
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