“Close but no cigar” has turned into a familiar refrain for the Washington Wizards in the last few weeks, but last night DeShawn Stevenson wasn’t having any of that. Stevenson hit a dramatic step-back three pointer as time expired, giving the Wizards a big 95-92 road win while eliciting a very animated cry of “Dagggerrrrrrrrrrrrrr” from Steve Buckhantz. As a team, the Wizards outscored the Hornets 27-18 in the final period. Stevenson himself contributed 16 of his career-high 33 points in the final frame, but it was his last shot that counted the most.

“[The shot] felt good coming out of my hands,” Stevenson said. “I was shooting it pretty good all night. Some went in, some went out, but I was happy that one went in.”

With 7.3 seconds to play, it looked like the Wizards might have let another game slip past them. Antawn Jamison was called for a lane violation after Hilton Armstrong’s second free throw miss, giving the New Orleans center another chance to tie the game at 92. He was good on his third try, but the Wizards inbounded the ball quickly and Stevenson raced up the court, eluding Peja Stojakoivc as he went for the steal before stepping back and nailing a long three right in front of the Wizards bench. Washington improved to 3-7 in games decided by three points or less and won on the road for the first time in 11 tries against the Hornets. Three of those games were in Charlotte, two in Oklahoma City and five in New Orleans.