• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Young, Wizards top Blazers

Feb 15, 2012 - 7:10 AM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Nick Young dropped in a game-high 35 points as the Washington Wizards posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a 124-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

John Wall added 29 points and nine assists, while Jordan Crawford contributed 21 points off the bench in the Wizards' first win in Portland since March 28, 2005, snapping a six-game losing streak.

"It just felt good (tonight)," said Young. "Seeing my teammates excited and them hitting shots and us gelling off each other, I feel like we're turning into a good team. We just have to keep learning from it."

Nicolas Batum led the Blazers with 33 points and Gerald Wallace had 25 in Portland's fourth loss in five games. Marcus Camby recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds in Portland's first three-game losing streak at home since March 29- April 6, 2008.

Portland's leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge left the game less than two minutes into the first quarter with a left ankle sprain. After sinking a fadeaway jumper from the right elbow, he rolled his left ankle as he made his landing. He immediately fell to the floor and was looked at by team trainers before being helped into the locker room, where x-rays were negative.

The game's opening seven-plus minutes saw three lead changes and three ties until a 7-3 spurt by Portland put them ahead, 26-20, with just under two minutes left in the first quarter.

But the Wizards recorded the final eight points of the first and took a 28-26 advantage into the second on Jordan Crawford's tip-in inside the final second.

Jamal Crawford opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to put the Blazers back on top before Washington reeled off a 16-4 run to jump out to a 44-33 lead.

Portland managed to close the gap to six on two separate occasions in the remaining six minutes, but the Wizards responded each time with a three- pointer and held a 58-46 advantage at the break.

Washington held at least a seven-point lead in the third as the Wizards continued to quell any type of Portland run en route to a 91-82 lead after three.

That lead stretched to as much as 17 in the fourth quarter before an 8-0 swing by Portland cut the deficit to single digits, 108-99, with less than six minutes left in the game.

The Wizards answered with a 7-0 spurt to extend its lead back to 16 points, but another 8-0 run by the Blazers closed the gap to 115-107 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.

That would be as close as the Blazers would get, though, as a Young three- pointer followed by a JaVale McGee dunk extended the lead back to double digits with less than a minute to go in the game.

"They just outworked us," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said. "Somewhere along the line, pride has to show up. We just looked like we were waiting for someone to rescue us, and we have to do that ourselves."

Game Notes

The Wizards improved to 2-16 against teams with winning records this season...McGee finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Washington...Portland scored 28 points off 16 Washington turnovers...The Trail Blazers turned the ball over 11 times, resulting in 20 points by the Wizards...Washington outrebounded Portland, 43-31.