Nets can't close out the Wizards, fall in overtime, 112-108

Classic trap game? Yup, classic trap game.

With the Nets coming off a blowout victory over the Utah Jazz and having circled tomorrow night's game against the undefeated Indiana Pacers on their schedule, this game against the 1-3 Wizards had all the makings of a trap game. Considering they got nothing from Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and really Deron Williams for most of the game, I'm not sure we can call it a trap have. More like a...well, you know, rhymes with "trap."

Nets went into overtime with a scoreless Pierce in a game they seemed to have wrapped up midway through the fourth. This game really didn't need to go into overtime, but it did, and the Nets paid the price for letting that happen. They lost in overtime, 112-108.

Brooklyn was looking to show that they can run with young, athletic teams, which the Wizards are, especially at the wings -- John Wall, Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza, namely.

Brook Lopez was once again dominant, scoring 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in 17 first-half minutes. He proved to be not only dominant in the paint, but versatile. The Wizards just couldn't stop him. Well, at least for the first half. He finished with 23 points in 33 minutes.

The Nets settled for jumpers early, and unfortunately weren't able to hit them. Luckily, the Wizards weren't able to get anything tl fall either. The teams started a combined 5-of-18 from the floor in the first five minutes. The game settled a little, especially for the Nets, who used their depth to continue to run rested bodies at the Wizards. The Nets offense really started to click after their sluggish start, thanks in big part to Brook Lopez who scored 12 of the team's first 23points.

Andray Blatche returned to Washington, where he isn't necessarily, how do I put this, "liked"? The thing about Blatche, though, is that he relishes in the "boos" raining down on him from the Washington fans. Unfortunately, he picked up two fouls in his first minutes of action, which caused him to have to adjust his game early, but it didn't mean he was any less inspired, at least early on.

Defensively, the Nets had to adjust on the fly. Early on they really forced the Wizards to live in the long- and mid-range, closing out on the paint and keeping the Wizards from penetrating and/or getting the bigs involved early. It worked, well, until the Wizards starting hitting their long jumpers, including a three from John Wall at the end of the first quarter -- the first three he's made against the Nets in his career.

Overall, the Nets were fluid and assertive on offense in the first half and, again, struggled in the third quarter and we're no better in the second half of the fourth. The defense, however, was spotty, but the most important thing is that they were able to respond to each run. Sure, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett were terrible on offense, and this game didn't need to "go there." Always be closing, right? Well, unless you're the Nets and playing on the road.

Not good.

Next up is a tough matchup on Saturday, at home, against the Pacers. You have to believe the Nets are going to be ready for this one. I hope.

For more on the Wizards, see: Bullets Forever

• Nets at Wizards - November 8, 2013 - Box Score - NBA.com
• Game Thread: Brooklyn Nets at Washington Wizards, 7:00 PM - NetsDaily
• Fake and Buckets (Video) - NBA.com
• Friendly Bounce At The Buzzer (Video) - NBA.com
• Long Pass Inside (Video) - NBA.com
• Livngston discusses OT loss to Wizards (Video) - YES Network
• Nets know they are a target (Video) - YES Network
• Blatche discusses mental mistakes after loss (Video) - YES Network
  
• Kidd discusses 112-108 overtime loss to Wizards (Video) - YES Network
• Nets Give It Away: Wizards 112, Nets 108 (GAME GRADES) - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
  
• KG unsure if he'll play vs. Pacers - Ohm Youngmisuk - ESPN New York
• With Pierce Ill, Wizards Beat Sloppy Nets - Andrew Keh - New York Times
• Nets Start Fast, Then Go Flat in OT Loss to Wizards - Alex Raskin - Wall Street Journal
• Nets fall to Wizards in OT - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
• Blatche’s missed free throws costly for Nets - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
  
• Nets come up short in extra period, fall to Wizards, 112-108 -  Andy Vasquez - The Record
• Nets squander lead, fall to Wizards in OT - Rod Boone - Newsday
• Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce fall short as Nets lose to Wizards in overtime - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
• Struggling Andray Blatche: "Starting tonight, I'm freeing my head." - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
• Final Score: Wizards 112, Nets 108 OT - John Paoloantonio - SNY Nets
• Wizards 112, Nets 108: Bradley Beal, John Wall, Nene fuel Washington’s 2nd straight win - Michael Lee - Washington Post
• Nets Fall to Wizards in Overtime - Brooklyn Nets