The Wizards put up a valiant effort, but ultimately fell short.
The Washington Wizards entered Wednesday’s contest against the Brooklyn Nets as the hottest team in the East (no, seriously). The fun times came to an end in a 122-119 overtime loss to the Nets at Capitol One Arena.
Any discussion of Wednesday’s loss starts and ends with Jordan Poole. The 6’4” guard put on an absolute show with a season-high 38 points on 15-of-24 shooting and 5-of-12 from distance. He also tallied seven rebounds and eight assists.
Poole torched both the Nets and the actual nylon nets all evening. He also hit several big shots in the fourth quarter, piling on 14 points in the final frame.
Jordan Poole is on a BURNER ♨️
He’s got a season-high 36 points and counting, 14 in the 4th quarter.pic.twitter.com/yJMBPvXMpR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 28, 2024
Poole had a chance to force double OT with the Wizards down three. The 24-year-old got a clean look from the top of the key, but couldn’t get it to fall.
In his first three games against the Nets earlier this season, Poole averaged a measly 8.3 points. His 38 points on Wednesday were his best as a Wizards and tied for the third-highest scoring output of his career.
Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija both posted strong double-doubles in the contest. Avdija scored 17 points and grabbed 12 boards. Kuzma tallied 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was also a crunch time performer in his own right, hitting a corner three that tied the game and served as the final bucket before OT.
CORNER KUZ. pic.twitter.com/AXaUcrZwPa
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 28, 2024
Nets guard Cam Thomas matched Poole with 38 of his own as Brooklyn just barely held on to beat D.C. in OT.
The Wizards have a chance to start a new win streak when they host the Detroit Pistons on Friday.