Boykins' late jumper keep Nets from first winning streak

By Bob Considine, for NBA.com
Posted Friday January 29, 2010 11:46PM

EAST RUTHERFORD (NBA.com exclusive) -- Giving the worst record in NBA history a run for its money, the Nets have been well-versed in the challenges of winning a game.

But winning two straight? That, for the moment, is just another universe for New Jersey.

Earl Boykins' 16-footer with .4 seconds left served as the dramatic winning basket in the Wizards 81-79 win over the Nets Friday night at the IZOD Center.

For Washington, it was a much-needed win. For New Jersey, it was a wasted opportunity to put together successive victories against a downtrodden team that had lost four straight, trailed by 12 early and had no starters scoring in double-figures for the first time in franchise history.

In other words...Ouch.

"It's definitely frustrating," said Nets guard Courtney Lee, who finished with 19 points. "We're starting to compete. We're starting to fight. But there are things down the stretch we need to work on."

The Wizards (15-30) were just determined to work on themselves. It was their first game since learning Gilbert Arenas would miss the remainder of the season due to a league suspension. Boykins, with his 15 points, and Andray Blatche (14 points) carried the load off the bench with Antawn Jamison leading the Washington starters with just nine points. The Wizards also outrebounded the Nets, 40-32, to make a difference.

"In the NBA, you are going to have games where the starters aren't able to perform well," Boykins said. "It was important for the bench to come in and contribute tonight and we did."

But none more than Boykins. With the score tied at 79-79, the diminutive veteran with the sharpshooter's touch circled the top of the key on a screen-and-roll with time running down. He drove in from the right side, stopped to create some space from Nets' forward Kris Humphries, then pulled back and fired from 16 feet out. It slinked through the net with .4 seconds left for the decisive basket.

Jarvis Hayes hit the side of the backboard on the Nets' last try as time expired.

Humphries was taking most of the blame.

"The last thing I wanted to do was get caught in the air and foul," Humphries said. "I probably should have pushed up a little bit more, being (Boykins) is so small, try to make him to turn the corner and finish. But he made a tough shot and it's really difficult when you have a really good shooter like Jamison setting the screen."

"I had Earl with me in Denver for three years and I know he's an excellent shooter," Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe said.

"He's never afraid to take the big shot," Wizards center Brendan Haywood said of Boykins.

The Nets' offense opened a 12-point lead in the first quarter, but grew sluggish toward the finish line. They took a 77-74 lead with 5:01 left on a pair of Brook Lopez free throws. But they would fail to score on their next seven trips down the floor - and that included two misses from the line by Lopez, one three-second violation and another 24-second violation that found Humphries not knowing where to go with the ball in his hands.

Washington didn't exactly light it up either. But Jamison put back his own miss to make it 77-76 and, after a Haywood free throw, Caron Butler made it 79-77 with a pair from the line with 2:23 left. A Lopez layup off the glass with 13 seconds left snapped New Jersey's cold streak, but only set up Boykins heroics.

The Wizards have been candid about the difficulties of playing through the distractions involved with the Arenas and Javaris Crittenton suspensions. As a team that entered the season with high expectations and an even higher payroll ($79 million), Washington's season was recently deemed as an "embarrassment" by Jamison and he and coach Flip Saunders are aware that they'll be the constant focus of trade rumors as the Feb. 18 trading deadline approaches.

They also said it's paramount that the team forge ahead.

"We're in a unique situation," Saunders said. "We've got eight players who are free agents. So every time they step on the floor, they're auditioning for other teams and for the team they're playing for. So for their profession and everybody involved, it's everyone's best interest to play at a high level."

"After what we've been through, trade talk is like throwing rocks in a pond," Jamison added. "We kind of figured we'd get those kind of talks after what has happened and the type of season we've had so far. But you've got a job to do and you've got to go out there and compete at a high level and try to win as many games as possible."

The Nets (4-41) were again without starting point guard Devin Harris, who continues to nurse a sore right wrist. Vandeweghe figures this prolonged injury is behind Harris' dismal 37.8 percent shooting this season.

"He feels the team needs him and he wants to get out and play," Vandeweghe said. "My view is if you're not really healthy and your wrist is bothering you, you're better off getting it better. You're better off getting to 100 percent before you come back."

• Wizards: Crittenton, James
• Nets: Harris, Simmons

• Wizards: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: IZOD Center, New Jersey, NJ
• Officials: #18 Mark Wunderlich, #52 Pat Fraher, #63 Derek Richardson
• Attendance: 11384
• Duration: 2:17