The Wizards were shut down offensively and could not keep up with the Nets defensively, losing badly 119-84 in Brooklyn on Friday night. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the team with 13 points, while only John Wall scored in double figures otherwise. The Nets out-rebounded the Wizards on a poor shooting night with a season-high 60 rebounds to the Wizards' 35. The Wizards, who never led in the game, only shot 36.6% from the field while the Nets made exactly 50.0% of their field goals.
The game started with positive news as Otto Porter Jr. returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games against the Cavs and Pelicans and most of the Clippers' game. Porter scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in 21 minutes. The Wizards used a 14-4 run in the first quarter after already trailing by 10 points to bring the game to a 26-23 Nets lead to end the first quarter. The Nets would rebuild that lead in the second quarter, heading into halftime leading 53-43.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson especially gave the Wizards fit all over the place, scoring 21 points to go with 11 rebounds and six assists in only 23 minutes of action. Hollis-Jefferson was also dominant on defense, contesting the Wizards' shots in the post. Nik Stauskas, DeMarre Carroll, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Caris LeVert also scored 15 or more points in the game.
Dinwiddie scored 11 points in a two-minute span to grow the Nets' lead to 17 points early in the third quarter. Brooklyn would build on that lead throughout the third, out-hustling and creating plays against a stagnant Wizards team. The Nets would lead by 27 points heading into the fourth quarter, and would only grow their lead in the final 12 minutes.
“We couldn’t stay in front of the basketball tonight,” Scott Brooks said after the game. “We just seemed like a step slow all the way around. We’ve got to play better. We have to show more physicality, and we have to show more toughness. We’ve got to show more resolve, and we didn’t do that tonight.”
John Wall only played seven-plus minutes in the first half as Scott Brooks had him on a 25-minute restriction with the Wizards play on a back-to-back. Wall played nine minutes in the third quarter but would not return in the fourth quarter with the Nets up as many as 40 points. Tomas Satoransky saw extended minutes in Wall's limited time, playing 20 minutes.
Bradley Beal struggled mightily from the field, only making 2-of-14 shots. His jump shot was off on Friday night, while some layups rattled out. Beal was not the sole issue, but the Wizards have struggled this season to get going when Beal is not scoring his usual 23 points per game.
The Wizards (17-15) now host the struggling and banged up Magic (11-22) on Saturday night. Washington is now 1-4 on the front end of back-to-backs, but will look to move to 4-1 on the back-ends.