WASHINGTON — Will Barton let another long ball fly from the left wing, then banged three fingers against his head and screamed after it swished through the net.
Barton’s 14-point fourth quarter, including that shot put the Nuggets up five with 1:22 to play, helping Denver fight off the Wizards 108-100 Friday night at the Capital One Center in a crucial victory for the Nuggets’ playoff hopes.
Denver (40-33), which matched its win total from last season, entered Friday in ninth place in the tight Western Conference playoff standings — two games behind Utah and Minnesota and a half-game ahead of the 10th-place Clippers.