Bradley Beal contributed 28 points, including 14 in the fourth period and overtime, as the leader of the balanced attack of the Washington Wizards that beat the Toronto Raptors 129-131 away from home and placed one step away from the entry tournament to the Conference playoffs East.
While the base Russell westbrook reached his thirty-fourth triple-double of the season, 170 of his career, just one to tie the mark of all time the legendary Oscar robertson (181).
But it would be the Brazilian base Raul Neto the key player and winning surprise factor by getting 25 points, his best mark as a professional, and become the Wizards’ second-best scorer.
Neto, who started, played 39 minutes in which he scored 7 of 11 shots from the field, including 5 of 7 triples, and was perfect 6-6 from the personnel line.
The Brazilian international contributed two defensive rebounds, distributed three assists, recovered two balls, lost three and committed three personal fouls.
Quite a claim for Neto, the best Latin American player currently in the NBA, a professional model who has all the support of the Wizards coach, Scott Brooks.
The Cameroonian power forward Pascal Siakam equaled his career record with 44 points for the Raptors, who lost for the fifth time in six games and fell four games behind the Wizards for 10th place in the Eastern Conference with five to go.
Siakam missed a long triple late in overtime that could have given the Raptors victory.
Beal, who played 45 minutes just a day after the Wizards lost in Milwaukee, spent most of the game trying to escape Toronto’s defensive attention.
Westbrook had 13 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists before fouling with 15.3 seconds left in overtime, in what was his sixth triple-double in seven games and he came up short with an assists in the seventh.
Cuban American center Robin Lopez had six of his 24 points, the highest of the season, and two big blocks in overtime with the Wizards, who had lost all nine of their previous games against the Raptors.
Westbrook didn’t seal his triple-double until a layup with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter that left the Wizards one point behind.
Beal scored eight of the next 10 points for Washington, but guard Fred VanVleet’s 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in regulation sent the game into extra time.
Three of the Wizards’ last four games have been decided by one or two points.
Guard Gary Trent Jr. finished with 25 points, the Raptors’ second best scorer, while VanFleet reached 22 points, which did not prevent the Toronto team from losing.