Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal rattled off a quick six points at a gorgeous 3.8-second sequence that propelled the Washington Wizards into some 149-146 comeback triumph within the seeing Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.
“At this moment, we do not have nothing to lose,” Westbrook said. “It’s win or go home.”
The Wizardsdown by five points with the shot clock turned off, had appeared to be in their way to a fifth straight loss.
“Frankly, Ish [Smith] just told me to push it and pull on it,” Beal said after the game. “That is all we could have done in that situation.”
It worked.
Beal sprinted up the court and pulled up to nail a 3-pointer that brought Washington in two points of Brooklyn with 8.1 seconds remaining. As Nets forward Joe Harris moved to immediately inbound the ball at the baseline, teammate Kevin Durant cut toward the basket. The miscommunication allowed Wizards guard Garrison Mathews to throw the ball at the corner and then dish it out to Westbrook, who buried another 3 with 4.3 seconds to perform.
With the Wizards clinging to some one-point lead, the Nets took a timeout. When play resumed, Nets guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot managed to get a fantastic look in a layup in the last two seconds of the game, but his effort rolled off the rim.
Two made free throws from Beal sealed Washington’s win.
“We had that game,” Nets guard Kyrie Irving explained. “It should’ve been ours, so we just look at ourselves in the mirror and see what we can fix as individuals and as a group — notably on campaign. I couldn’t guard a stick today. Those guys were just moving right around me, and I was becoming frustrated a little bit”
The Wizards and Nets’ combined 295 points resulted in the second-highest-scoring non-overtime game in the past 25 seasons, based on ESPN Stats & Information research.
The Nets gave up 72 points from the painttied to their third most allowed in a match over the last 25 seasons and the most allowed in a contest since 2017. Beal managed to evaluate 22 of the 37 total points in the fourth quarter. The Wizards outscored the Nets 12-2 in clutch time.
“This was the first game all year I had a White Claw,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “I wanted to appreciate it. This is a great feeling. I wanted our players to enjoy it. We fought. We fought hard.
“We’ve done it all year, and the basketball gods gave us a rest tonight.”
The Nets’ defensive difficulties let the Wizards to remain in the match. While the final sequence appeared to be the apex of the Nets’ breakdown, Irving reported that Harris’ turnover and the subsequent 3 were a”microcosm” of those issues that plagued Brooklyn throughout the evening.
“It does not come from one play,” Harris added. “But same time, I mean, had I not made [the turnover], we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about reduction.”
Nets coach Steve Nash called Harris’ turnover”an unfortunate minute” but stated it wasn’t to blame for the loss.
“When you give up 149 points, that is one mistake in about 50 defensive lapses,” Nash said. “Not good enough defensively, and we can take a look at the missed layup or the turnover to the 3 there, but we shouldn’t have been in that position. We had a big lead early, and we let them stay around a longlong time until their confidence grew. They’re a distressed [team ] looking for a triumph, and we gave them an opportunity and gave them life.”
For Durant,”This is only one of the ones you’ve just got to eliminate.”
