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Beal's basket enables Wizards to upset Thunder

Jan 8, 2013 - 4:09 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Bradley Beal scored 22 points and sank the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds remaining to lift the Washington Wizards to a shocking 101-99 victory over Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

Playing without Jordan Crawford and Nene due to injuries, Washington still earned its second straight triumph over the Thunder when Beal broke a 99-99 tie by throwing a pump fake and hitting a leaning jumper in the lane.

Martell Webster also tallied 22 points and Kevin Seraphin poured in 19 for Washington. Emeka Okafor totaled a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in just the second Wizards' win in their last 15 games.

Washington had lost five in a row entering the contest.

"First off, win or lose, I couldn't have been more proud of our group of guys than what these guys showed me tonight," said Washington coach Randy Whittman, whose team was shorthanded coming into the contest due to injuries.

Kevin Durant posted 29 points, eight assists and seven boards for the Thunder, who had won five of six coming in. Serge Ibaka scored a career-high 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds and Russell Westbrook finished with 17 points and eight assists in defeat.

"They deserved to win the game, they played better than us," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "One of the things I tell our guys is that there are 29 teams that want to win just as bad as we want to. We didn't play well enough to win tonight and they deserved it."

Despite missing their two top scorers, the Wizards found themselves ahead 80-73 with 10:03 to play in the fourth quarter.

Washington extended its advantage to double-digits after back-to-back scores from Serpahin with under eight minutes left, but the Thunder chipped away late.

After a deep triple from Westbrook, Durant came up with a steal and outletted to Thabo Sefolosha for a fastbreak dunk to pull the Thunder within 94-90.

Webster drew a foul on a made 3-pointer and completed the four-point play for a 99-94 advantage, but Durant knocked down a deep triple to knot the game at 99-99 with 36 seconds left.

However, with the clock winding down, the rookie Beal hit a clutch shot after getting two Thunder defenders in the air with a pump fake to put Washington ahead with 0.3 seconds remaining.

Following a timeout, Westbrook just got off a deep jumper from the corner, but it fell short, preserving the win for Washington.

The Wizards began the second with a 30-20 lead after closing out the first with a 20-7 run.

However, the Thunder used a 10-2 push in the second to take a 48-43 edge. The Wizards retook the lead late in the period on a pair of Seraphin free throws, but Ibaka capped a 15-point half with a 3-pointer from the corner as time expired to send the Thunder into halftime with a 53-51 lead.

Game Notes

Oklahoma City will travel back home to host Minnesota before playing nine of their next 10 games on the road ... Washington won for the first time this season on the second night of a back-to-back. They were 0-9 on such occassions coming into the contest ... Washington's Trevor Ariza and A.J. Price returned to the lineup after missing 17 and 15 games, respectively, with injuries. Ariza scored three points and Price tallied four points, five rebounds and five assists.