Wizards hang on to defeat Mavericks for third straight win

Kyle Kuzma had 30 points and made one of two free throws to break a tie with 4.2 seconds remaining, lifting the Washington Wizards to a 127-126 win over the host Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Dallas starts with D and so does DUUUUUUUUB 👐#DCAboveAll | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/LbcRkJwvm3

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 25, 2023

“I think there was some debate about whether he stepped out, whether he (was) fouled,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.

“Thankfully, fouled. Those types of situations happen fast. You’ve got to make a split-second decision.”

“It’s easy to get excited about one performance. We’ve got along road trip ahead. It could be a catalyst for something, to be a little short-handed, able to compete on the road, an area which we’ve struggled at times.”

Luka Doncic had 41 points and 15 rebounds for Dallas while Corey Kispert scored his 1000th career point.

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count it up.

congrats to @corey_kispert for reaching 1k career points 🙌 pic.twitter.com/eaZsRBeSD7

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 25, 2023

It was the Mavericks’ first game since sending Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and draft picks. Nunn was available but didn’t play.

The Wizards opened a five-game trip with a third straight win while Dallas finished a 1-3 homestand with its eighth loss in 11 games.

Washington swept the two-game series for the second consecutive season after going 14 years without a sweep of Dallas.

The Wizards visit Houston Rockets next on Wednesday while the Mavericks travel to Phoenix, where Dallas blew a 22-point lead in the second half of a 107-105 loss in the season opener against the Suns.