Wizards Finally Hold Opponent Under 100 Points in Victory Against Nets

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a historic moment for the Washington Wizards, it took 57 games this season for the team to finally hold an opponent under 100 points. This achievement came during a victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, where the Wizards restricted their rivals to just 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Playing just his second game with Washington, Marcus Smart played a crucial role in the defense, which had been a sore spot for the Wizards throughout the season. “It took everybody,” Smart said. “That Brooklyn team, as we all know, they don’t back down from nobody. They’re going to come out and test you on both ends.”

This victory was significant, especially considering that the previous season, the 2022-23 Utah Jazz, were the first team since the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets that went the entire season without holding an opponent under 100 points, according to Sportradar. The Wizards were the last team in the NBA holding that dubious honor until now.

Acquired from Memphis, Smart, who was the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had been sidelined for much of the previous season due to various injuries. Nonetheless, he made his debut for the Wizards last week and scored 10 points in 21:38 minutes against the Nets. “There are some people that kind of probably slept — I haven’t played in a couple years consistently, and they probably forgot about me — which is cool. I’m used to it,” Smart said. “I still do what I do.”

The game turned dramatically late in the fourth quarter when the Nets took a narrow lead of 97-96 on a layup from Trendon Watford with 4:45 remaining. However, the Wizards responded vigorously, holding Brooklyn scoreless until the final 13 seconds of the game, where the Nets only managed to score with two free throws.

Washington’s victory came despite committing 23 turnovers, while Brooklyn contributed 18 turnovers of their own. Despite the offensive struggles, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe celebrated the team’s efforts, emphasizing their defensive performance. “We weathered the storm,” Keefe said. “We didn’t play a perfect game. We scored 40 points in the second half. We struggled to score at times. We’re still learning chemistry with the new guys. But that didn’t stop us from staying competitive and staying with the game. We really won the game tonight with our defense.”

As for the Nets, they suffered a disappointing defeat after recent successes, and head coach Jacque Vaughn acknowledged the tough night on offense. The Wizards’ defense proved to be a pivotal factor that shifted the momentum in their favor.

With this victory, the Wizards look to build upon this momentum as they continue their season of rebuilding and improvement.