WASHINGTON (AP) — Rookie Will Riley scored a season-high 18 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:07 left, and the Washington Wizards beat the Sacramento Kings 116-112 on Sunday night in a matchup of last-place teams.
AJ Johnson added 17 points and Bilal Coulibaly and Marvin Bagley III each scored 15 for the Wizards, who relied heavily on their reserves as they handed the Kings their ninth straight loss.
Washington has won three of four since a nine-game skid of its own. The Wizards began the night last in the Eastern Conference but moved one-half game ahead of Indiana.
Zach LaVine scored 35 points and DeMar DeRozan had 32 for the Kings, who are last in the West and concluded their season-long East Coast trip at 0-6.
Maxime Raynaud added 14 points for Sacramento, but no other Kings player had more than six. Washington led 61-20 in bench points, and the Wizards’ reserves also outscored their starters.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe had four players who’ve spent time in the G League this season on the floor in the closing minutes. Riley and Johnson were joined by Skal Labissiere and Sharife Cooper, whose tip-in gave Washington a 115-110 lead with 37.2 seconds left.
Labissiere had 13 points. Little-used veteran Anthony Gill played a season-high 27 minutes for Washington and was scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting.
DeRozan scored eight points during a 12-3 fourth-quarter run that gave the Kings a 101-98 lead with 5:20 left. The 19-year-old Riley responded with eight points in the next 3:13 to put the Wizards back on top.
Up next
Kings: Host Memphis on Wednesday night.
Wizards: Host New York on Tuesday night.
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