Washington gave up a 17 point lead over the final 8:52 seconds of regulation and lost to the Blazers 108-105 on Saturday night.
Things were going well in Washington for most of their first game after the team announced John Wall would miss at least two weeks after undergoing a knee procedure on Friday. Otto Porter was putting together an outstanding all-around game, Bradley Beal was playing well as the team’s primary option, and the defense had largely kept Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in check.
But over the final stretch — a time during which a team that had two nights off like Washington should be surging, and a time during which a team on the second night of a back-to-back like Portland should be fading — the Blazers’ dynamic backcourt caught fire, combining to score 24 of the Blazers’ last 33 points.