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Despite a late rally, the Wizards came up short in against the Nets, falling 125-118 in Brooklyn. It marks the Wizards' second loss of the season to the Nets.
The loss in Brooklyn came days after a heart-breaking overtime loss at home to the Boston Celtics.
The Nets took the lead early on, getting off to 7-0 start. A pair of Kelly Oubre Jr. highlight-reel worthy dunks helped breathe energy into the Wizards, and they ended the first quarter with a 31-27 lead.
The tables quickly turned in the second quarter, as the Nets erupted for 43 points. Brooklyn took advantage of opportunities in the paint, ultimately carving out a 14-point lead. A late flurry of sorts featuring back-to-back 3-pointers by Austin Rivers and Bradley Beal helped the Wizards trim the score to 70-59 entering the half.
The Wizards started the third frame off strong, and cut the Nets’ lead to single-digits behind three Jeff Green triples. The early spark helped keep the Wizards within striking distance until a series of plays helped reestablish Brooklyn’s lead and shift momentum. After Spencer Dinwiddie converted on a tough layup, the Wizards turned the ball over on the in-bounds play. The Nets outscored the Wizards 21-11 down the stretch in the third period, as their lead ballooned to 16.
Washington cut the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter, which included a 10-2 run. The closest the Wizards got to taking the lead was when it was a four-point game. However, as has been a familiar theme this year, the Wizards fell behind too far too early to come back. Markieff Morris, who had a strong performance, fouled out with 4:18 left in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn managed to pull away down the stretch, despite a spirited effort from the Wizards.
Head coach Scott Brooks cited inability to get a stop as a key reason for the team's loss.
“We could not get any stops, especially in that second quarter when Brooklyn busted out and scored 43 points. In that second half we couldn’t keep them off of that free-throw line," Brooks said postgame. "We couldn’t stay in front of the basketball. When you have those issues, you’re going to have trouble winning a game, whether it’s on the road or at home. You have to man up and get in front of the basketball and stay in front of it and not always have help. We put them on the free-throw line when we couldn’t stay in front of them.”
Bradley Beal echoed Brooks' sentiments.
“We had focus, but the defense just wasn’t there. We weren’t guarding," Bradley Beal said postgame. "Offensively we were very stagnant at times. I don’t think we had any fast break points tonight, so I mean, it’s not our offense. It’s definitely our defense. We weren’t guarding so we went back to old habits.”
Despite shooting better than Brooklyn (54.4 % against 52.4 %), the Wizards were significantly out-rebounded, as Brooklyn hauled in 21 more boards. The Wizards also committed seven more personal fouls, and only shot 56.2 % from the free-throw line.
Bradley Beal turned in another impressive outing, finishing with 31 points and nine assists. It was Beal's 11th game of the season with 25+ points. Beal's backcourt-mate John Wall manufactured his eighth double-double of the year with 17 points and 13 assists. Austin Rivers (14p), Jeff Green (12p), and the aforementioned Morris (15p) all ended the night with solid scoring contributions.
Spencer Dinwiddie, fresh off a lucrative contract extension, paced Brooklyn with 27 points. Joe Harris, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Radions Kurucs, Jarrett Allen, and DeMarre Carroll all finished with double-digit points as well.
The Wizards return to the court Sunday to host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. It will be the first meeting of the year between the two teams.
Bradley Beal noted facing Los Angeles poses a difficult challenge.
“The Lakers are going to be a tough team to beat. They’ve got a young team, very athletic on both ends of the floor – plus LeBron," Beal said. "You’ve got to game plan for him. It’ll be a tough challenge for us but at the same time it’s a challenge that we need and we willingly accept, and I think they’re going to help push us over the hump.”
Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. on NBCSWA.