Gary Neal is finding his range, and the Wizards are reaping the benefits
|
Version 0 of 1. The most important and disputed play Monday night in the Washington Wizards’ victory over the Miami Heat occurred with just more than a minute remaining. Washington was clinging to a two-point lead when Bradley Beal drove baseline on defender Chris Bosh, left his feet for a layup and landed with possession without a Heat player touching the ball. Heat players and coaches immediately erupted, pleading for a traveling violation. The referees’ whistles remained silent, however, and Beal found Gary Neal in the corner for an open three-pointer. Neal’s field goal pushed the Wizards’ lead to 108-103 with 1 minute 7 seconds remaining of their 114-103 victory. Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra, still livid, immediately called a timeout and stomped onto the floor, screaming for some kind of ruling. Nothing changed on the floor — though a day later, the league said a violation should have been called. “They wouldn’t have said anything if the ball didn’t go in,” Neal said after the game. Neal hasn’t missed much lately. The Baltimore native continued his standout season Monday with 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting off the bench for his eighth double-figure scoring effort. “Right from the start he was probably the most consistent guy we had throughout the game,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said. “He gave us a big lift.” Neal has given the Wizards exactly what they were looking for when they signed him to a one-year deal in July worth $2.1 million — a move that fit into both their short-term plans and long-term flexibility. They were looking for a bench scorer and Neal, 31, was a proven commodity, a veteran who began his NBA career making big shots on the biggest stages with the San Antonio Spurs and has made a living as a second-unit sparkplug. The early returns have been robust. Neal is averaging 10.6 points on 50.6 percent shooting, averaging 21.5 minutes in 17 games — all but one off the bench. And after shooting 30.5 percent from three-point range with the Charlotte Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves last season, his 46.7 three-point percentage ranked fifth in the NBA entering Tuesday. “I’m just trying to be aggressive, not forcing anything, trying to get the best shots I can get,” the 6-foot-4 Neal said. “Some nights I’m going to get a lot of shots. Two games ago, against the Lakers, I only got four. That’s just something that I have to stay focused and disciplined with, not forcing anything and letting the game come to me.” When at full strength, the Wizards’ bench is deeper than in years’ past. In addition to Neal, Washington boasts offensive weapons like Nene, who was moved out of the starting lineup this season, plus Kris Humphries and Ramon Sessions. But the Wizards have been depleted, particularly in the front court, which forced them to adapt and go to a small-ball brand of basketball over the past three games. The opportunity has allowed Neal to excel in lineups that often feature the 6-7 Jared Dudley at center and four guards on the floor, which creates space for driving lanes and open shots. In the three games, he averaged 17 points on 65.6 percent shooting, including 53.8 from beyond the arc. “It’s huge and it’s very important for us because us starters might not have it going every night,” Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. “We need them to come in and be able to give us that lift that we need and that spark that we need and G. Neal has been consistent throughout the year and he’s going to continue to be that way.” The Wizards will likely revert to their usual lineups against the Houston Rockets as starting center Marcin Gortat is expected to rejoin the team from after a three-game absence due to a family matter in Poland. Neal’s torrid shooting is probably unsustainable, but the Wizards finally have the potent bench shot-maker they’ve craved. “It’s a learning process,” Neal said. “I’m still learning. Hopefully I’ll be able to knock down open ones that I do get.” Note: The start time for the Wizards’ Jan. 16 meeting with the Boston Celtics at Verizon Center has been changed from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. |