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Wizards Hand the Nets Their Sixth Straight Loss at Home, 99-90

By Anthony Puccio
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

BROOKLYN - Well, it didn't take long to chalk up another L in the loss column.

It was a game that saw Brooklyn lead for the entirety of the first half, but a big third quarter from the Wizards notched them the victory, 99-90.

The Nets were up by as much as seven in the third quarter. Kevin Garnett forced a contested three pointer from the corner that fell right into the hands of the Wizards. They had the ball - and game in their hands from that point on. They immediately answered with a 12-2 run to jolt their lead up to seven by the end of the quarter. After Garnett's shot, the Nets shot 4-of-15 from the field and watched their deficit climb as the Wizards outscored them 27-19 in the quarter alone.

The loss, by no means, is on KG's back of Garnett. It just shows the Nets can't waste ANY possessions because you just never know when they're gonna go ice cold.

Marcin Gortat was a machine in all aspects. He was 5-of-6 from the field and finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds. The Nets had no answer for him down low, but Bradley Beal was the real offensive threat. He filled the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Former Net, Paul Pierce, was yet again ineffective vs. Brooklyn, ending his night with seven points on 2-for-9 shooting.

Brooklyn did all they could in the fourth quarter. They jumped out to a 9-4 run to cut their seven point lead down to two, but Washington did a good job on the defensive end to prevent Brooklyn from finding an offensive rhythm. The Nets trailed 85-81, but Washington capped off the game with a 14-9 run, while holding Brooklyn scoreless for nearly three minutes to end the game.

The six consecutive losses matches the Nets' longest losing skid at home since 2013.

It was a game the Nets could've taken, but due to the inability to take advantage of Washington's mistakes, they couldn't prevail. And by mistakes, I mean the 13 turnovers coughed up by Washington. Not to mention their 14-for-27 night at the free throw line. They were also outrebounded 49-40, and Coach Hollins wasn't shy about it afterwards.

"We're not a very good rebounding team as it goes already. We held our own last night, but we were just a lot more spry last night. Tonight, they came out and they were pushing and banging, and we didn't have a resistance."

However, the numbers spoke and the three point numbers were once again a nightmare. They shot 44% from the field,  but 4-for-17 from three. Jarrett Jack capped off another solid start, scoring in double figures for the second consecutive game. In 40 minutes of action, Jack finished with 22 points and eight assists, but a horrid five turnovers -- half of what the Nets totaled on the night.

Brook Lopez, fresh off the rumor mill, finished with 15 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. With him, Joe Johnson also chipped in 15.

The Nets start a three game West Coast trip this Wednesday vs. the Sacramento Kings as they start the second half portion of the 82-game schedule. Is 17-24 where you predicted this team to be at this point? Nate Silver sure did.

Quarter by quarter summary:

First quarter ... The Nets carried their convincing offensive play from last night straight into tonight's first quarter. It was a balanced offensive attack containing no true scorer, but six Nets' players hit on at least one field goal. They shot 11-of-21 in the quarter with Kevin Garnett leading the way with six points and four rebounds. The Wizards on the other hand turned the ball over four times and shot just 10-of-24 from the field. The Nets led, 26-23.

Second quarter ... The pace of the game stayed pretty consistent through the second quarter. The Nets finished the half shooting 46.5% from the field with Brook Lopez stealing the show ... again. Lopez put up 13 points and four rebounds to lead all scorers at the half. Like Lopez, Joe Johnson appeared to regain his touch from the field, finishing the half with 11 points.

The Wizards, led by Bradley Beal (12 points), scored 27 points in the quarter and shot 48.8% from the field in the half. They committed eight turnovers and didn't receive any production from former Net, Paul Pierce, who was just 1-of-7 to start the half.

Score at the half: Nets 51, Wizards 50.

Third quarter ... The Nets were up 61-54 when Kevin Garnett took a contested three pointer with 15 seconds remaining on the shot clock. It was a wasted possession and the Wizards immediately answered with a 12-2 run. It gave them a 64-63 lead, their first of the night since 38-36 in the second quarter.

From that point on, the Nets finished the quarter 4-for-15 from the field and 9-for-26 in the quarter. The awful shooting led to a 27-19 advantage for Washington and a 77-70 lead. Marcin Gortat emerged as an absolute force with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Fourth quarter ... The Nets jumped out to a 9-4 run to start the quarter and get back within two. The Wizards would prevail, however. The teams were evenly matched throughout the quarter, but Brooklyn's poor third quarter and lack of offensive execution in the late stages ultimately doomed their chances.

Final score: Wizards 99, Nets 90.

For more on the Washington Wizards, check them out at Bullets Forever.

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