Sports

Nets Start Strong, But Stumble In Loss To Wizards

February 27, 2019 / 10:45 PM EST / CBS New York

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bradley Beal scored 31 points, Trevor Ariza had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Washington Wizards beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-116 on Wednesday night.

Reserve Thomas Bryant had 18 points and Bobby Portis finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who led by as many as 28 points. Washington had lost four straight and nine out of 12.

D'Angelo Russell scored 28 points for the Nets, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.

Washington looked like a team on its way to another loss after Brooklyn jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Joe Harris' 3-pointer before Wizards coach Scott Brooks called a timeout with 9:39 to play in the opening quarter.

Washington regrouped and outscored the Nets 34-18 the rest of the period as Beal scored 13 points.

The Wizards then took a 68-60 lead heading into halftime after recording 23 assists on their 26 field goals.

The Wizards then put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter during a five-minute stretch in which the Nets turned the ball over six times and missed four shots.

Beal scored four straight points to open the second half for a 72-60 lead. Ariza later had 11 points in a 17-3 run as Washington extended its lead to 89-65 with 5:55 left in the period on a pair of free throws from Jeff Green.

A jumper by Jared Dudley ended Brooklyn's scoreless drought with 5:35 remaining in the quarter.

TIP-INS

Wizards: C Dwight Howard (back surgery) joined the team for its short two-game road trip. He did some agility drills prior to the game. Brooks said he was unsure when Howard will return.

Nets: G Allen Crabbe's first 3-pointer of the night was his 287th as a member of the Nets, moving him past Richard Jefferson into sole possession of 10th place in franchise history. Crabbe has made 288 3s as a Net since coming over last season.

REINFORCEMENT IS ON THE WAY

Spencer Dinwiddie, who has missed his last 13 games due to torn ligaments in his right thumb, is close to returning for the Nets.

Dinwiddie participated in a pregame workout and Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson is aware the combo guard's return to the lineup could balance an offense that has relied more often on the 3-point shot instead of driving in the lane.

The Nets shot 19 for 50 from long distance in Monday night's win over San Antonio.

"I'll say this, he is very close to returning. Very close," Atkinson said. "I'll leave it at that. Very close. He's been doing a lot on the court. I think he's close to being ready."

GET WELL SOON, MR. BASKETBALL

Atkinson considers New York City playground legend "Pearl" Washington as perhaps the best high school basketball player in the city. But he also recalls the handful of times he matched up against Nets great Kenny Anderson, who is recovering from a stroke he suffered Saturday night.

Atkinson was on the 13th-seeded University of Richmond team that surprised Anderson's fifth-seeded Georgia Tech team in the second round of the 1988 NCAA Tournament.

"Incredible, incredible player. Incredible high school player. Incredible college player," Atkinson said of the 48-year-old Anderson.

"He had a sixth sense, like that city sense that guys like me didn't have," Atkinson said. "Incredible instincts to steal the ball, to see the court, quick as .Tiny Archibald. I loved that. I was a huge Kenny Anderson fan and I know what a great player he was."

UP NEXT:

Wizards: Visit the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Nets: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.