WASHINGTON — With just 8.1 seconds on the clock, Jordan Poole drained a crucial 3-pointer, leading the Washington Wizards to a 113-110 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.

This contest featured two struggling teams, with the Wizards (5-23) defeating the Hornets (7-23) for the second week running. Despite holding a substantial 21-point lead in the second quarter, Washington found themselves in a tight contest as the game entered its final moments.

In a twist of fate, Charlotte led by one point with Josh Green at the free-throw line, only for him to miss both attempts. Wizards rookie Alex Sarr capitalized on the opportunity, scoring on a tip-in to give Washington a 109-108 advantage with 14.8 seconds left.

The Hornets reclaimed the lead shortly after when Mark Williams executed a powerful dunk off an alley-oop pass from LaMelo Ball with 12.3 seconds remaining. However, following a timeout called by the Wizards, Poole sank a step-back 3-point basket from near the top of the arc, swinging the momentum back to Washington.

In a last-ditch effort, Brandon Miller for Charlotte missed a 3-pointer, and Ball’s following attempt for a putback also fell short. To cap off the game, Wizards player Justin Champagnie converted a free throw with just 1.6 seconds left, finalizing the score.

This defeat marked the Hornets’ 14th loss in their last 15 games.

Poole led the Wizards with 25 points, while teammate Bilal Coulibaly contributed 20 points. For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball was the standout performer, scoring 31 points.

In terms of game analysis, the Hornets welcomed back Miller from injury, and despite trailing significantly at one point, they mounted a commendable comeback. Nevertheless, Green’s missed free throws proved to be a turning point for the team.

On the other hand, the Wizards demonstrated resilience after being outscored 19-4 at the start of the fourth quarter, which briefly put the Hornets in the lead.

The decisive moment came when Poole managed to isolate against Green at the top of the key and created sufficient space to take his fifth 3-pointer of the night, which he made on 15 attempts overall.

A noteworthy statistic from the game: the Wizards capitalized on Charlotte’s mistakes, scoring 24 points off the 20 turnovers committed by the Hornets.

Looking ahead, the Wizards will host two consecutive games against New York starting Saturday, while the Hornets will face off against Oklahoma City.