Brooklyn Nets fall in lightweight bout vs Washington Wizards, Losing 119-102

It started as a fun, close, and high scoring affair. It didn’t end that way.

The past three games were nothing short of a sweet escape for the Brooklyn Nets — even if that last one was at home.

When the team returned from its road trip with two Ws added to its belt, everyone still understood the kind of season we’re dealing with here. They knew last night and still know today. Was the stretch commendable? Big time. But enough to re-write the narrative of this campaign? Well, we’re not quite there.

But those victories, each more improbable than the last, still gave us something to talk about other than ping pong balls for the first time in what feels like forever. Lottery odds, stacking losses, Ace Bailey’s upside, and Dylan Harper’s floor? For a moment, the team subtly, even politely, escorted those subjects off to the side like an usher in a crowded theater.

Tonight’s opponent, however, brought them to center stage, even after winning two out of their last three.

With the Washington Wizards and their league-leading 41 losses coming into the building, it felt impossible to not consider draft ramifications this evening. Entering the game, the Nets sat 8.5 games behind the Wiz Kids for the draft lottery’s most advantageous spot.

Dread it. Run from it. Tank talk arrives all the same.

But even with the Nets’ win streak, the contest would offer them a chance to make up some ground in that department … and fast.

Despite the on-court Nets’ attempt to grab the gear stick and reverse into a win, that’s exactly what happened. They lost.

It took a while for Brooklyn’s wheels to begin spinning during this excursion. The Nets started the game 1-of-6 from the field with three turnovers, surrendering a 10-2 early lead to their visitors. The saran wrap didn’t get removed from Brooklyn’s basket until almost three minutes into the game when D’Angelo Russell scored on a second chance, lefty take to the rim.

Brooklyn’s other point guard didn’t have much to begin this one either. Ben Simmons’ spacing issues caught up to him once more, as the Nets’ collective inability to space the floor made it easy for the Washington defense to collapse, for the most part clogging up Brooklyn’s offense.

A few tough takes in isolation from Tosan Evbuomwan, who finished with 16/6/5, and transition buckets from Ben10, who added 4/6/5, kept the Nets afloat, though they still trailed after the first frame. Washington led at that point by a 33-26 tally, putting up 60/55 first period splits after Brooklyn miscommunicated on their rotations one too many times.

“Anytime they’re shooting that well from three, you’re putting yourself in a tough position, when they get hot,” Cam Johnson said postgame. “At that point, instead of being around five, we should be up 15. Yeah, 20 threes, 47%, that hurts.”

Brooklyn’s offense in the second then ran through Cam Johnson, making his return after a six-game absence. It was only a matter of time given the impact he’s made when on the floor all year. CJ went for 10 points in the second, eventually finishing with 17 while shooting 5-of-13 from the field and 3-of-9 from deep.

Johnson was short on words tonight, but said “I’m good, I’ll be alright” when asked about getting his rhythm back postgame.

Aided by Johnson, Brooklyn started the second 5-of-5 from downtown, pulling even with Washington about six minutes removed from halftime. They also turned the turnover tide, forcing four from the Wizards in the second while committing zero until the 3:28 point of the quarter.

Despite Brooklyn’s offensive renaissance, Washington still trotted into the break with a 65-61 lead. Both teams miraculously posted 50/40 splits at the half despite being known as low-voltage scoring units, ranking bottom-five in total field goal percentage for the year coming into the game.

It was then in the third where we got this “tank bowl” as advertised. Both teams started out the third 4-16 from the field. Some of it was shot diet. Some of it was just the rim having a change of heart at halftime…

Despite the abundance of stones and bricks flying about during that frame, it left no glass nor debris on the court for the fourth, where Washington started with a 15-point advantage, having closed the third on a 13-3 despite their inefficient start to the period. The Wizards pulled their percentages back up, while the Nets stayed in the basement.

Fernández refused to pin the loss on this chapter of the game nonetheless.

“We didn’t defend the whole game,” Fernández said. “It was not just that stretch…For the whole game our focus was bad. I think our guys tried to do the right things. We were not on time. Our purpose, focus, everything we’ve had going well for us the last three games, not the last three games just before we won, but even before, I just couldn’t see it today. We got to be better, starting with me.”

From that point forward, it was as if the Wizards produced a Patronus charm the way they were able to keep the guys wearing black at a distance. They started the fourth 10-12 from the field, getting a flurry of tough makes from guys Brooklyn fans probably didn’t know existed until tonight.

The Nets rolling with a Reece Beekman, Keon Johnson, Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin, and Evbuomwan five during the bulk of the fourth didn’t help either.

“I was just trying to find different combinations, different players,” Fernández said. “DLo has great, that’s the type of player he is. It was just trying to find different players, and then the game went away, and I didn’t want to go back to him.”

As the clock ticked down and neither Simmons, Johnson, nor Russell got up, the game’s ultimate result slowly but surely became clear to anyone watching. The scoreboard eventually proved our previsions to be true.

Final: Washington Wizards 119, Brooklyn Nets 102

Trade Deadline Update

So on a night that Jimmy Butler moved from Miami to Golden State, Brandon Ingram moved from New Orleans to Toronto (for former Net Bruce Brown) and the Knicks traded Jericho Simms to Milwaukee for Delon Wright and cash considerations, the Nets were quiet.

Indeed, Sean Marks and his No. 2, B.J. Johnson, were some 40 miles away from Barclays Center at Rutgers to watch Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, the consensus Nos. 2 and 3 picks as well as Illinois 6’6” point guard, Kasparas Jakucionis, who many see as a top five pick…

Rutgers won. By our count, that’s the fifth time Marks and Johnson have seen one or both of the Rutgers duo.

Milestone Watch

Not much here as one would expect:

• Keon Johnson has tallied a game-high 20 points tonight, extending his career best streak of games in double figures to seven. This is Johnson’s seventh 20-point game of the season (fourth in his last seven games). He had two 20-point games in his first three seasons combined.
• Tosan Evbuomwan scored 15 points, Evbuomwan has now reached double digits in four of the last five games. For the season — 16 games — the two-way player is now averaging 10.0 , all off the bench.

Injury Report

As mentioned above Cam Johnson, who missed six straight games with an ankle injury, returned tonight. With the trade deadline now just hours away, Johnson’s return, coupled with another report deeming him “unlikely” to be traded by Brian Lewis, argues CJ will spend at the very least another five months in Brooklyn.

Still, never say never with this team, especially at this point in the year.

The Nets also held out Trendon Watford, who played in Brooklyn’s last three contests after returning from a multi-game absence, citing left hamstring injury management.

Day’Ron Sharpe got tagged with left hamstring tightness a few hours before tipoff tonight and Fernández referred to him as a game time decision. He eventually went on to play. With trade season again at its peak right now, take that for what you will.

Next Up

John Jones-Imagn Images

Brooklyn continues its home stand Friday in a contest vs the Miami Heat. If the game itself isn’t the ambience of the night should be intriguing at the very least. This will be both teams’ first game after the Thursday afternoon trade deadline. We already know it’ll be Miami’s first without Jimmy Butler — but who else?

• Boxscore: Washington Wizards 119, Brooklyn Nets 102 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Washington Wizards 119 Brooklyn Nets 102 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernández talks about the Nets’ loss to Wizards (Video) – YES Network
• Cam Johnson discusses Wednesday’s loss (Video) – YES Network
• Jordi Fernández and Cam Johnson Postgame Press Conferences vs Washington (Video) – Brooklyn Nets
• Poole scores 19 to help Wizards beat Nets 119-102 – Denis P. Gorman – AP
• Bilal Coulibaly’s big night leads Wizards past Nets – Reuters
• Nets ripped by lowly Wizards as modest win streak ends at three games – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ 3-game winning streak snapped in blowout loss to ailing Wizards – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News