Washington Wizards get over .500 on eighth try

The Washington Wizards defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 100-90 on Monday. The win put the Wizards over .500 for the first time since 2009.
In the third quarter the Wizards held the Blazers to just 14 points. The Wizards had a 17 point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers cut the lead to six with just over a minute left and that’s as close as they got. Turnovers cost the Blazers the win. The Wizards committed six turnovers while forcing the Blazers to commit 16 turnovers. John Wall scored a team high 22 points, and Trevor Ariza had 20 points for the Wizards. No current Wizards players were on the team the last time they were above .500, according to the Associated Press.
'It's great that we're 24-23 now, but I don't want them to focus on a number,'' Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. 'I want them to focus on the act of why you're 24-23. That's where you keep it going. I want this team to get on a run. They haven't ever been on a run.''
The Trail Blazers entered Monday’s game as the highest scoring team in the NBA. However the Wizards have been shutting down the NBA’s best offenses. The Wizards held the Phoenix Suns to 95 points, the Golden State Warriors to 85 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder to a season-low 81 points, according to the Washington Post.
The Wizards have won four of their last six games. Since October 31 they are 120-236. That’s a winning percentage of .336, which is behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings during that span. The Wizards are now 24-23 and have a good shot at making the playoffs.