• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Wizards top Bobcats in Wittman's debut

Jan 26, 2012 - 4:44 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Randy Wittman won his first game as interim head coach of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Nick Young scored 20 points and the Wizards took care of the Charlotte Bobcats, 92-75, a day after head coach Flip Saunders was fired in the midst of a 2-15 start to the season.

Wittman was a lead assistant for Saunders, who was just 51-130 in two-plus seasons as the team's head coach.

"I can't honestly say we needed a new voice. We just needed somebody to actually check us like Wittman did. That's what we needed," said forward Andray Blatche about the coaching change.

Blatche had a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards and John Wall filled the stat sheet with 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks for the Wizards, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

They travel to Houston to face the Rockets in their next game Friday.

Matt Carroll scored 17 points in his first start of the year for the Bobcats, who were without starters D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson.

The Bobcats got help from rookie Kemba Walker, who scored eight points to go with four assists and six boards in place of Augustin; and Tyrus Thomas, who added 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks.

"As I said last night, take three or four of your best players off any team, and you're not gonna play well," Charlotte coach Paul Silas said about his team's recent injuries. "Our scorers, our two leading scorers are not playing, how are we gonna score?"

Charlotte has lost six games in a row and 12 of its last 13 and will face Philadelphia on the road Friday.

The Wizards came out energized under Wittman, opening the game with an 8-2 run and the Bobcats were never able to get back into the game.

Young got it going early for Washington, scoring 11 of his game-high 20 points in the first, and the Wizards finished the quarter on a 10-2 run in the final four minutes to take a 31-17 lead.

Charlotte managed just 11 points in the second quarter as the Wizards extended their lead to 48-28 going into halftime.

The Bobcats opened the 3rd quarter on a 9-2 run but Wall's block and coast-to- coast lay up at the 4:26 mark extended the Washington lead to 60-41. The third quarter ended with the Wizards leading 71-49.

The Bobcats would get only as close as 14 late in the fourth but the Wizards were able to close them out for a wire-to-wire victory.

Game Notes

Augustin missed his second straight game with right big toe inflammation...All three of the Wizards' wins are at home this year...The Wizards held the Bobcats to a season-low 28 points in the first half...The Wizards outscored the Bobcats in the paint 60-34.