Jordan Poole’s 26 propelled Washington to its 10th win
The Washington Wizards defeated the Brooklyn Nets 107-99 on Monday, improving to 10-47 on the season.
Washington came out firing in the first quarter, draining 60% of its 3-point attempts to grow a 30-20 lead. Bilal Coulibaly made all three of his 3-point attempts, finishing the frame with a game-high 11 points.
Brooklyn cut into the deficit in the second quarter behind some defensive adjustments, but an efficient 14 points on 4-6 shooting from Jordan Poole kept Washington ahead. The Wizards led 57-49 at halftime behind an impressive 10-for-16 mark from beyond the arc.
The Nets began the second half just as the Wizards began the first, dominating both ends en route to a 7-0 run. Washington’s third-quarter struggles continued — they were outscored 32-17 Sunday in Orlando — as Brooklyn won the third frame 28-18 to take a slim two-point advantage into the final quarter.
Kyshawn George’s standout two-way play flashed through three quarters as the Wizards rookie tallied 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals entering the fourth frame.
Brooklyn turned up the defensive pressure early, embarking on a 7-0 run to take a 95-92 lead. The Wizards answered with a 4-0 run as the sides went back and forth. Things got chippy when Nic Claxton shoved Justin Champagnie on a rebound, causing the Wizards forward to take a nasty fall. Champagnie and Claxton exchanged words and a Flagrant 1 was assessed to Claxton.
As the game wound down, Marcus Smart announced himself to Wizards fans, drawing a charge and forcing a turnover on consecutive defensive possessions before hyping up the home crowd. From that moment on, Washington embarked on an 11-2 run behind a pair of Jordan Poole jumpers to secure a narrow victory.
Monday’s win marked the first time the Wizards held an opponent under 100 points this season. Poole finished with a game-high 26 points on 8-13 shooting. Coulibaly added 20 points of his own on 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc.