Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from no-stress win over Wizards

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The Brooklyn Nets on Friday avoided any late-game drama at Barclays Center for the first time in awhile, putting away the Washington Wizards 125-118.

Just nine days ago, the Brooklyn Nets lost their eighth consecutive game. The script has been completely flipped since and after a 125-118 victory over the Washington Wizards Friday night at Barclays Center, the Nets have their longest winning streak under coach Kenny Atkinson.

And for once, it came without a lot of drama in the closing seconds.

Brooklyn (12-18) saw a 16-point lead whittled down to just four with less than five minutes to play when John Wall completed a three-point play with 4:56 remaining.

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But after Bradley Beal got the Wizards (11-18) back to within four on a drive and finish with 4:31 left, Brooklyn answered for a 9-0 run capped by five straight points from Joe Harris to push the lead back out to 13 with 2:21 to play.

Moments later, Harris delivered the knockout punch, draining his third 3-pointer of the quarter with 1:08 to go to push the Brooklyn lead to 125-112.

Harris dropped 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, hitting all four of his shots — three from 3-point land — while Spencer Dinwiddie celebrated the signing Friday afternoon of his new three-year, $34 million extension with a team-high 27 points to go with six assists.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Nets, their longest streak since winning six straight from March 25-April 3, 2015, which was also the last season Brooklyn reached the playoffs.

The Nets posted some impressive numbers on the night. Their 70 points in the first half was their most prolific first half of the season and was their highest-scoring first 24 minutes since ringing up 81 points on April 4, 2017, against the Philadelphia 76ers at Philadelphia.

Their 43 points in the second quarter was their most since putting up 43 in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 15, 2017, at Barclays Center. And their 34 assists were a season-high and their most since posting 36 on April 7 against the Chicago Bulls at Chicago.

With the win, the Nets leapfrogged the Wizards into 10th place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Miami Heat (12-16), who picked up a 100-97 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night. Brooklyn now trails the eighth-place Orlando Magic (13-15) by two games.

The Nets shot 52.4 percent (44-for-84) in the game, their second straight game topping 50 percent and just their third all season, and hit 11-of-31 (35.5 percent) from long range. The Nets hammered Washington on the glass 46-25.

Brooklyn outscored the Wizards 64-60 in the paint and 10-0 on the fast break, while turning the ball over only 10 times.

Harris added six assists for the Nets and was one of six Brooklyn players in double-figures. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Jarrett Allen had 12 points and two blocks. D’Angelo Russell had a team-high nine assists.

Rookie Rodions Kurucs made his first career start in place of injured Allen Crabbe, out with a sore right knee, and scored 15 points. DeMarre Carroll dropped 12 points for Brooklyn off the bench.

Beal scored a game-high 31 points and had nine assists with the Wizards, who shot 54.4 percent (49-for-90) overall and were 11-for-29 from deep (37.9 percent). Kelly Oubre finished with 10 points and six rebounds, Wall had 17 points and 13 assists and Thomas Bryant blocked two shots.

Markieff Morris scored 15 points before fouling out, Austin Rivers dropped 14 points and Jeff Green added 12.

The Nets return to action Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks (6-22), who were blown out on the road Friday 129-108 by the Boston Celtics. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern from Barclays Center.

Here are three takeaways from another Brooklyn victory.