Point guard Russell Westbrook came close to a triple-double in the Washington Wizards’ 149-146 surprise victory over the Brooklyn Nets and snapped their four-game losing streak. Westbrook, traded by the Houston Rockets before the new season began last December, had 41 points, 10 rebounds, and delivered eight touchdown passes, in what was his best performance since joining the nation’s capital team.
The Wizards’ star point guard set consecutive scoring records so far this season but had entered the game with an average of 18.9 points, the lowest since his second NBA season in 2009-10. Also, for the first time, he showed good harmony in the game together with his new partner, the star guard Bradley Beal, the current leader in the league.
Beal maintained his scoring inspiration by scoring another 37 points, including 22 in the fourth quarter for Westbrook’s 15. While the German center Moritz Wagner, who came out of the reserve contributed another 17 points, captured five rebounds distributed two assists and recovered two balls.
Beal and Westbrook scored 3-pointers in a 3.8-second span in the closing seconds to help Washington clinch the win. With Washington trailing at 141-146, Beal hit a triple with 8.1 seconds left. Garrison Matthews deflected an inbound pass from Joe Harris to Westbrook, who made a triple with 4.3 seconds left for a 147-146 lead, which would be the decisive one for the Wizards (4-12).
Again, Forward Kevin Durant With 37 Points Who Is The Second-best Scorer In The League So Far This Season
finished leading the Nets, being perfect from the personnel line with 13-13, seven rebounds, six assists, and two ball recoveries, which did not prevent defeat. Harris had 30 points and Kyrie Irving had another 26 that supported Durant’s offensive work with the Nets (13-9) who broke his four-game winning streak.
Guard James Harden was unable to play for the Nets due to a muscle contusion and missed the first game since being traded by the Houston Rockets on January 13. Our defense did not give a good image to give up so many points, said Durant at the end of the game and verifying that the Wizards had had a 52 percent shooting from the field.
Harden couldn’t face Westbrook for the first time since they were teammates in Houston last season after which they both asked to be traded. Also, Harden, Westbrook, and Durant were teammates in Oklahoma City for three seasons with the Thunder from 2009-10 through 2011-12.
