Wizards beat Hornets 96-91,ending 16-game skid

Mike Miller scored a season-high 27 points and the Washington Wizards snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a 96-91 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

The Wizards avoided an 0-17 March with their first win since beating New Jersey on Feb. 28. Andray Blatche scored 23 points, and Shaun Livingston added 18 for the Wizards, who played without four regular starters but still shot 55.9 percent from the floor.

David West scored 18 points for the Hornets, who were coming off a home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Chris Paul had eight points and nine assists. Washington almost blew a 12-point lead in the last 4:20. After trailing 87-75, the Hornets had two chances to tie in the final 15.3 seconds, but James Posey missed a free throw and West was off target on a 3-point attempt.

Miller's two free throws sealed the win with 4.4 seconds left.
Washington, which lost a fourth-quarter lead at Houston on Tuesday, was in control of this one almost all the way. The Wizards led by 4 at the half, 70-59 at the end of the third quarter and answered every Hornets run.
After New Orleans pulled to 80-75 on a Darren Collison floater, Miller drilled a 3-pointer, Livingston hit a mid-range jumper and Blatche converted two free throws to give Washington a 87-75 lead with 3:32 left.
Even that advantage was not safe.

The Hornets went on a 11-2 run, closing the gap to 88-86 on a 3-pointer by Marcus Thornton. The Wizards went back up by 6 on baskets from Blatche and James Singleton, but the Hornets forced three consecutive turnovers in the final minute and had a chance to tie it when Posey went to the free-throw line with 15.3 seconds left.