Mikal Bridges had 27 points and 13 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets recovered from blowing a 17-point lead to beat the Washington Wizards 102-94 on Sunday.
Cam Johnson added 14 points and starting center Nic Claxton, in just his second game of the season, had 10 points and 13 rebounds to spark a huge rebounding advantage and help the Nets finish strong after coughing up the advance.
Bridges shot just 11 of 29, but turned to his defense for one of the biggest plays of the game, a steal that led to his layup that tied it at 92 with 2:27 to play .
He followed with the next three points as part of a 15-0 run that turned Brooklyn’s five-point deficit into a 102-92 lead.
Rookie Bilal Coulibaly, Victor Wembanyama’s teammate last season in France, scored a game-high 20 points for the Wizards. But Washington shot 37.5% and fell to 2-7.
Brooklyn beat Washington 66-42.
The Wizards led by two with 2 1/2 minutes left, but committed three turnovers in the next 45 seconds.
This has helped the Nets get by mostly on defense as they struggle to put healthy combinations on the floor. Claxton missed eight games with a sprained left ankle, and Johnson was playing only his third game after a calf injury.
Ben Simmons remained out for the third straight game with a bruised left hip and leading scorer Cam Thomas missed his second straight game in what will be at least a two-week absence due to a sprained hip. the left ankle.
Despite all that, they played well enough to reach a .500 average after their first 10 games.
The teams combined to miss their first nine shots before Claxton missed a shot to break the ice. The Wizards only had two baskets midway through the first quarter and the Nets were already leading by double digits about 30 seconds later. Claxton’s basket made the score 30-13 and Brooklyn led by 15 after one.
Bridges was just 1 of 7 in the second and Washington held Brooklyn to 19 points to get within 49-41 at halftime.
Coulibaly moved into the top 10 with his strong play in the playoffs to help Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ No. 1 pick, and the Metropolitans 92 reached the playoff final of their French championship. He shot 8 for 12 off the bench, but by the time he dove for his final basket in the final seconds, it only served to end Brooklyn’s decisive run.
Kyle Kuzma shot 4 of 16 for his 15 points for the Wizards, playing Delon Wright without reserve for at least the next three weeks due to a sprained left knee. Wright, who was tied for second in the NBA in steals last season, was injured Friday night in a loss to Charlotte.
FOLLOWING
Wizards: Visit Toronto on Monday.
Nets: Host Orlando on Tuesday in an in-season tournament game.
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