WASHINGTON _ Perhaps the most fitting way to describe Saturday night's game between the struggling Knicks and the depleted Wizards is that included in the visiting media package was a sleep mask, which also served the purpose of avoiding the sight of what was on the court.
The Knicks still were a more representative squad than the Wizards, who were missing seven of their top players. They started a pair of players who were signed using the hardship exemption, but they still boasted a better record than the Knicks and had the bragging rights of having beaten them Monday at Madison Square Garden.
The Wizards were without eight players that night, but at least they had Bradley Beal, their best player. He was sidelined Saturday with lower leg soreness.
But just as they had Monday, the Wizards _ or the remnants of the Capital City Go Go, their G League affiliate _ gave the Knicks all they could handle. Trailing by 15 points in the third quarter, the Wizards fought back to take the lead and scrapped to the final minutes before finally succumbing, 107-100, at Capital One Arena.
Leading 92-91 with just over nine minutes remaining, the Wizards missed 12 of their next 13 shots.
Julius Randle carried the Knicks (9-24) with 30 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. It was his third consecutive game with at least 30 points; he is averaging 32.7 points in that span. Bobby Portis added 17 points off the bench.
Isaiah Thomas and Jordan McRae had 20 each for Washington (9-22).
"Our approach has been and needs to be, we're going out there and we're going to play the Washington Wizards," Knicks interim coach Mike Miller said before the game. "Who they put on the floor is who we're going to play against and who we're going to compete against and who we prepared for. Their system is going to stay the same. Maybe some guys are more aggressive in that. Guys see that as opportunities."
With every regular contributor knocked out of action and G League call-ups taking their place, the roster struggles for the Wizards have reached almost comical proportions.
"We didn't go in the summer thinking eight of our top rotation guys will be out," said Wizards coach Scott Brooks, who in his playing days was a marginal roster guy who would have loved these opportunities. "But if that's the case, you want your G League guys to be ready to play and the system is in place."
