LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gilbert Arenas scored 24 points, Chucky

Atkins and Jared Jeffries each had 18 and the Washington Wizards

scored the first nine points of overtime in a 96-89 victory over

the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday night.

Atkins and Caron Butler, who were traded to Washington by the

Los Angeles Lakers in August for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit, won

in their return to Staples Center. Butler had three points and

fouled out with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter.

Raymond Felton led Charlotte with 12 points and 10 assists, and

Emeka Okafor had 13 rebounds and eight points. Okafor and Jeffries

fouled out of the opener of the NBA exhibition doubleheader.

The Bobcats, who forced a combined 51 turnovers during their

previous two games against Atlanta and Miami, converted 26

Washington turnovers into 26 points. Charlotte center Primoz

Brezec, who missed the previous three games because of a bruised

right shin, had 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes.

The Wizards pulled away with a 19-footer by Atkins and two slam

dunks 24 seconds apart by Jeffries.

Atkins' 3-pointer with 4:46 left in regulation put the Wizards

ahead 77-76, their first lead since late in the first quarter. The

Bobcats led by four with 1:36 to play, but Adkins hit another 3,

and Jeffries made one of two free throws to tie the score 85-all

with 32 seconds left in the fourth.

Charlotte had a chance to avoid overtime, but Kareem Rush, who

sat out the final 3½ quarters of Monday's game because of a bruised

left shoulder, had his shot blocked by Michael Ruffin with 15

seconds on the clock.