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The Wizards had a quick turnaround with a 6:00 p.m. tip in Brooklyn the night after a 7:00 p.m. tip in Washington D.C. For the second straight night, the Wizards got out to a scorching-hot start but fell victim to a big-time second-half comeback, losing 125-123 to the Nets. Kristaps Porzingis dropped 38 points in the loss.
In the first quarter, everything was clicking. Corey Kispert knocked down a deep triple on the Wizards' first possession of the game and that set the tone for the team's offense. Porzingis was doing a little bit of everything, scoring 16 first-quarter points for the second night in a row. Kendrick Nunn rocked the rim with a one-handed poster dunk. At the end of the first quarter, the Wizards held a 44-25 lead.
In the second quarter, Kyle Kuzma tweaked his left ankle and left the game. It was later announced that he was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a left ankle sprain. Without Kuzma, the offense stalled a bit, but the Wizards were able to hang on to their lead going into the break. At halftime, the Wizards were up 73-55.
In the third quarter, the Nets went on a 15-1 run, pulling them back within reach. By the end of the third quarter, Brooklyn cut the lead to single digits. Then, in the final quarter, it was Cam Thomas' time to shine. He scored 19 points in the quarter, completing the Nets' comeback and leading them to a 125-123 win.
Porzingis finished the game with 38 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field to go along with five boards, two assists, and two blocks. He fouled out of the game with 2:51 left in the fourth quarter, making it difficult for the Wizards to close things out.
"I think [in] that second half, they amped up their physicality a little bit," said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. "We scored enough. Had 123 points. Shot relatively well, I think 13 threes. So we had enough offense. Just our inability to contain... We were unable to get stops."
The Wizards will be back in action on Monday night when the Cavaliers come to town.