The Washington Wizards earned their 10th win of the season with tough defense in the fourth quarter, impassioned play throughout, and a few timely dumb plays from the Brooklyn Nets.
Head coach Brian Keefe closed a tense and chippy contest with a veteran group that included Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton, Richaun Holmes, Jordan Poole, and Bilal Coulibaly. The group repeatedly forced the Nets into tough shots in the fourth quarter. Smart contributed several strong defense possessions, which included a steal and drawing an offensive foul.
Brooklyn’s depleted roster — they’ve offloaded veterans all season, the latest being Ben Simmons — helped with those aforementioned dumb plays.