WASHINGTON — Forward Paul Pierce banked in the winning jumper at the buzzer as the short-handed Washington Wizards defeated the Atlanta Hawks 103-101 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series on Saturday night.
Guard Bradley Beal and forwards Nene and Otto Porter each scored 17 points as the Wizards took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against the top seed in the East.
Washington played its second straight game without injured All-Star guard John Wall and won despite blowing a 21-point second-half lead.
Sparked by its second unit, Atlanta stormed back with a 21-3 run, including 17 straight points, to make it 94-91 with 3:12 remaining. Forward Mike Muscala’s 3-pointer tied the game with 14.1 seconds left after guard Will Bynum hit two free throws for Washington.
Pierce, defended by Hawks guard Dennis Schroder, hit a step-back jumper just inside the 3-point arc as the buzzer sounded. He finished with 13 points.
Even without Wall, who suffered five non-displaced fractures in his left wrist and hand in Game 1, Washington led comfortably throughout and was up 91-70 with 9:54 remaining. The Wizards made 10 3-pointers.
Schroder and guard Jeff Teague each scored 18 points for the Hawks, who trailed by double digits for most of the game.
Forward DeMarre Carroll scored 14 points, snapping a streak of six games with at least 20. Atlanta forward Paul Millsap (flu-like symptoms) came off the bench and had eight points.
Forward Kyle Korver, the only starter to play during the final minutes, had six points. He missed his only two 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter. Atlanta, second during the season in 3-point shooting percentage, went 7 of 23.
Center Marcin Gortat scored 14 points for the fifth-seeded Wizards, who shot 47.4 percent.
Washington entered halftime up 56-43 as Nene broke out of a slump with 13 points.
Nene struggled shooting during the first two games, going 0-for-9. He missed his first try in Game 3 but then sank six straight attempts in the first half.
Teague, who joined Wall in the All-Star Game this season, continued to play nothing like one in this series. He went 2 of 9 during the first half and received a flagrant foul after hitting Beal during a breakaway chance amid a 9-0 run that gave Washington its largest first-half lead, 49-31. Teague finished 5 of 15 and is 12 of 41 (29.2 percent) in the series.
NOTES: Wizards G John Wall’s status for the remainder of the series remains uncertain, coach Randy Wittman said before tipoff. He was injured during a fall Sunday in the first half. He played the remainder of the game, but significant swelling and pain eventually developed. Washington’s primary ballhandler said this week that he struggled dribbling with his left hand. He remains the NBA playoff leader with 12.5 assists per game. … Hawks F Pero Antic replaced F Paul Millsap in the starting lineup. It marked the first time Millsap had come off the bench since Dec. 28, 2011. … Wizards F Paul Pierce left in the first quarter after banging his shoulder, but he returned later in the period. … F Al Horford played in his 57th playoff game, surpassing Tree Rollins for the most by an Atlanta Hawk. … The teams split two regular-season games in Washington. The Wizards won the series finale on March 29 as the Hawks, having clinched the top seed in the East, rested all of their starters. … Washington hosts Game 4 Monday.