The Washington Wizards have only four wins in the 2020-21 NBA season, but somehow two out of those four wins have been against the Brooklyn Nets, arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Everybody predicted the Wizards to lose before the tip-off against Brooklyn on Monday night. They were in bad form, dealing with injuries and COVID-19 issues, while the Nets had won the last four and seemed like they are just getting hot.
Things looked like advertised for the better part of the game, with Brooklyn leading as much as 18 points. But defensive issues and the resilience of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal turned the easy win into a wild finish.
With 12 seconds left in the contest, the Nets were up by five, and it looked like they had this one in the bag. But Ish Smith quickly inbounded the ball and got it to Beal, who drilled a three-pointer to cut the lead in two.
Brooklyn’s Joe Harris tried to get the ball back in the court in a hurry after Beal’s shot, causing a miscommunication between him and Kevin Durant. Garrison Mathew stole the ball, dished it to Westbrook, who sunk a dagger three to completely turn around the game in just seven seconds.
The Nets tried to respond in the dying second, but the previous sequence by Wizards was too much of a shock for them to make something happen.
Russell Westbrook was the man of the night, having scored 41 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Bradley Beal followed with a similarly great game, putting up 37 points to go with six rebounds and four assists.
Kevin Durant was Brooklyn’s best player, having a 37-point, seven-rebound, and six-assist performance. Joe Harris and Kyrie Irving added 30 and 26 points, respectively.
Despite the win, the Wizards still have the worst record in the NBA league at 4-12. Nets are second in the East at 13-9.
