AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Gilbert Arenas scored 39 points and Caron Butler added a season-high 27 to help the Washington Wizards break a five-game losing streak with a 120-114 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Butler was 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the second overtime period – Washington was 14-for-16 – to help the Wizards hang on.
Rasheed Wallace scored a season-high 33 points and had 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost at home for the first time after starting the season with five straight wins.
Butler made two free throws 18 seconds into the second overtime to give Washington the lead for good.
Arenas drew a blocking foul with 2.3 seconds to play in regulation and made both free throws to tie it and force the first extra period. Detroit’s Ben Wallace made a tying follow shot and drew a foul with 0.6 seconds left in the second overtime, but missed a potential winning free throw.
Detroit trailed most of the game and was behind 74-73 at the start of the fourth quarter, but seemed to have momentum after scoring the first nine points of that period. Washington reserve Chucky Atkins then went on a run of his own, outscoring the Pistons 12-4 on four 3-pointers.
Atkins scored a season-high 20 points before fouling out halfway through the fourth quarter. Antawn Jamison added 22 points and a season-high 20 rebounds.
Detroit’s Chauncey Billups fouled out in the second overtime period after scoring 21 points. Ben Wallace also fouled out in the second overtime after grabbing 16 rebounds.
Washington held Detroit to a season-worst 13 points in the first quarter and led 48-43 at the half.
Notes: The overtime game was the first for both teams this season. … The win was Washington’s first this season against a team that scored more than 100 points. … Detroit lost for the first time this season when scoring more than 100 points. … Jamison left the game late in the first quarter after jamming his left thumb, but returned a few minutes later. … Friday’s crowd of 22,076 was the Pistons’ 90th consecutive sellout.
AP-ES-11-25-05 2341EST
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