Robinson's Late 3-Pointer Lifts Wizards Past Nets
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets didn't want Bradley Beal to beat them with the game on the line Wednesday night.
Beal was happy to let Jerome Robinson take care of it.
Robinson's 3-pointer — off an assist from Beal — with 8.4 seconds left lifted the Washington Wizards to a 110-106 win over the Nets, snapping a three-game losing streak.
"I had a really good look," Robinson said. "At that point, when I see it's wide open I've got to take it. I knew they were playing (Brad) heavy. It would have been tough to get him back the ball."
After consecutive games of 53 and 55 points, Beal led the Wizards with 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, but didn't hesitate to set up Robinson, who the Wizards acquired from the Clippers on Feb. 6.
"We'd been telling him all night," Beal said. "There was a few he was hesitating. We didn't bring him over here for no reason. We need (him) to help us in all facets of the game. He's a good defender, but he's a pretty talented offensive player too.
"I trust everybody in here. There's a reason coach has you out on the floor."
Said Brooklyn's Chris LeVert: "Kid hit a big shot. We didn't want Brad to beat us. ... Robinson hit the big 3, obviously. I think if we would have done it differently, we would have talked better on the switch. But we have to live with that."
After Robinson gave Washington a 108-106 lead, Brooklyn's Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-point attempt and Robinson got the rebound, was fouled and added two free throws as Washington won a game in which it squandered an 18-point lead.
"I thought Spencer had a great look," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We got the switch we wanted, got the step-back. Had plenty of time and space, but it didn't go in. Sometimes, that's what it comes down to."
Caris LeVert led Brooklyn, which has lost three of four, with 34 points, and Dinwiddie added 18. DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Beal tied it it at 103 with a 3-pointer at the 1:02 mark and Dinwiddie hit one of two free throws.
Thomas Bryant's free throws gave Washington a 105-104 lead with 29 seconds left and Dinwiddie's driving layup put Brooklyn up by one.
The ninth-place Wizards trail the seventh-place Nets by five games in the Eastern Conference.
The Wizards shot 50 percent (9 for 18) from 3-point range in the first half and led by 18 points after Napier's 3 with 6:51 left in the second quarter.
The Nets trailed by 13 at halftime, but rallied. LeVert (13 points in the quarter) tied it at 79 with a 3 and Garrett Temple's 3-pointer gave Brooklyn its first lead at 84-81 with 31 seconds left in the third.
FIRST-HALF FUTILITY
Brooklyn made just 6 of 19 3-point attempts and shot 29 percent (16 for 41) overall before intermission and committed 11 turnovers.
"I am dumbfounded by how we weren't mentally into the game," Atkinson said. "I am not taking anything away from Washington. But there were just some infantile mistakes out there in terms of the turnovers."
OLD SCHOOL DEFENSE
In an effort to stop Beal in the fourth quarter, the Nets employed a box-and-one defense with former Wizard Temple guarding Beal.
"I said, 'I can't believe you guys are in this damn box-and-one. Is this high school out here, what are we doing?' (Temple) was like, 'I'm not letting you score 50.' So, to each his own," Beal said. "I guess the league don't want me to score 50, either. I got drug-tested today."
TIP-INS
Nets: Wilson Chandler (personal reasons) was ruled out. Atkinson said his absence would not be long term. ... Jordan recorded his 11th double-double. ... LeVert has scored 20 or more points in six of eight games since being reinserted into the starting lineup.
Wizards: Davis Bertans (sore right knee) returned after missing one game and scored 14 points. ... Improved to 15-2 in the past 17 meetings with Nets. ... Beal has 25 or more points in 16 straight games.
UP NEXT
Nets: at Atlanta to face the Hawks on Friday.
Wizards: at Utah to take on the Jazz on Friday.
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