Reliving every Washington Wizards Leap Day game in history
By Arrick Joel
Leap Day, 1988: Bullets' 10 blocks seal win over Warriors
In the second year of Moses Malone's brief stint with the Washington Bullets, the team traveled to Oakland to face off with the Golden State Warriors on Leap Day. Both teams entered the contest well below .500, searching for a way to turn around their season down the stretch.
Moses dominated throughout the game for Washington, sinking all 11 of his free throw attempts and finishing off a 110-105 Bullets win with a game-high 33 points. In just 13 minutes off the bench, Manute Bol denied four shot attempts and collected a steal, showcasing his elite defensive abilities.
Coming off his trade to Golden State from the Denver Nuggets in December, Otis Smith scored a season-high 29 points off the bench for the Warriors, keeping the game close until the very end.
Leap Day, 1992: Shorthanded Bullets fall to 76ers
In 1992, the Washington Bullets welcomed in the Philadelphia 76ers for a Leap Day matchup in which the Bullets were missing many key pieces. Pervis Ellison gave Philadelphia a good fight in front of his home crowd at the Capital Centre but could not manage to bring the Bullets back.
On top of Bernard King and John "Hot Plate" Williams missing the entirety of the season, Bullets' second-leading scorer Harvey Grant was absent from the lineup against the Sixers. Ellison finished the game with an impressive stat line, recording 30 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks.
For Philadelphia, the 101-92 win was due largely in part to the 33-point performance of Charles Barkley. The 28-year-old forward would be traded to the Phoenix Suns the following July, leading to his NBA MVP campaign in 1993.