The Nets fell to the Washington Wizards 107-99 at Capital One Arena on Monday, marking their second loss to the worst team in the NBA in as many tries.
However, Brooklyn’s defensive identity still shined through in spurts, as it forced a season-high 15 steals and created 23 turnovers — 15 of which came in the second half.
The Wizards entered the night conceding a league-worst 121.4 points per game, yet Brooklyn couldn’t find an early rhythm on offense for the second straight meeting — and was ultimately held under 100 points.
Washington opened the first quarter on a 21-9 run when it beat the Nets 119-102 on Feb. 5 at Barclays Center. Brooklyn fell behind 21-7 out the gate on Monday, prompting head coach Jordi Fernandez to sub out all five starters.
Killian Hayes got his second straight start in place of an injured D’Angelo Russell on Monday. Keon Johnson, Cam Johnson, Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton rounded out Brooklyn’s first five.
The Nets found some juice running with reserves Reece Beekman, Tyrese Martin, Jalen Wilson, Trendon Watford and Day’Ron Sharpe over the final 7:01 of the first quarter, but Washington still shot 57.9% and made six 3-pointers, putting Brooklyn in a 10-point hole through one.
The Wizards were just a handful in the first half. They were wildly efficient on offense. They relied on Jordan Poole‘s scoring and Bilal Coulibaly’s athleticism. They turned seven Nets turnovers into 11 points, outscored them 13-5 in transition, and carved up Brooklyn’s pick-and-roll defense.
It was just the third time Brooklyn has trailed at halftime in 11 games. However, a 10-2 burst to start the third quarter turned a 67-59 game into a 69-69 tie. Minutes later, one of Williams’ career-high five 3-pointers put the Nets up 72-71 with 7:14 left in the period. That was their first lead of the night.
In all, Brooklyn outscored the Wizards 28-18 in the third quarter and forced nine turnovers. It was the second-most turnovers forced in any quarter this season, good for an 87-85 lead through three.
The fourth quarter was a shootout until the Nets ran out of ammo. An 11-2 run, sparked by Poole and back-to-back steals by Marcus Smart, put Washington up 103-97 with 1:57 left. Brooklyn scored just 12 points in a fourth quarter where it shot just 17.6 percent. Cam Johnson missed seven straight shots to end regulation.
Two of Brooklyn’s three losses over the last 10 games have come against Washington. It fell to 21-36 and remains in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.
Williams led the Nets with 19 points, five rebounds and three steals. Cam Johnson, who shot 0-for-5 in the fourth quarter, finished with 17 points. Tyrese Martin added 15 points off the bench.
Poole scored a game-high 26 points for Washington.
The Nets will return to action on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Barclays Center.
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