Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — The All-Star and the up-and-comer went toe-to-toe, and experience won out in the end.

Gilbert Arenas scored 39 points and outdueled Gerald Wallace down the stretch as the Washington Wizards beat the Charlotte Bobcats 114-107 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Arenas had a 3-pointer, a backdoor layup and drew a charge that fouled out Raymond Felton in the final four minutes for the Wizards, who spoiled perhaps Wallace’s best game as a pro.

Wallace scored 40 points — one shy of his career-high — and added 14 rebounds and six steals, but managed only two free throws over the final 2:45.

“That’s one of the top games I’ve played, and we didn’t win,” Wallace said. “You fight back and take the lead and then their key player makes the big shots that they need. He raises up and shoots them from Greensboro.”

Felton added 22 points for the Bobcats, who lost their third straight game.

Caron Butler added 25 points and Antawn Jamison had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Washington, which became the first team since Phoenix 12 years ago to score 106 points in 12 consecutive games.

“We’re a scoring team. Just like Phoenix we try to score so much and so fast, everyone is going to have opportunities to score,” Arenas said. “That’s why we have to get key stops at the end.”

Arenas did that, holding his ground when Felton barreled through the lane with 3:23 left. With Brevin Knight missing his third straight game with a groin injury, the Bobcats had no true point guard when Felton went out. Charlotte managed only three field goals the rest of the way, two coming after the game was decided.