Brooklyn and Washington are linked as possibilities to land the top overall pick. Now the Nets decreased their chances thanks to the win.
The Brooklyn Nets ended up with the blessed Easter Sunday.
Plus in the process silenced chatter about pursuing the top pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Nolan Traore and Jalen Wilson collaborated to slice a late deficit and lead the 121-115 win over the Washington Wizards.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez said beforehand he hoped to see a more aggressive Traore to close out the regular season.
“I think he can be good at all three levels. We’ve seen his speed that allows him to get to the rim. We’ve seen his in-between push shots. He’s got a good touch when he finds proper balance. And we’ve seen the three-point shot. We’ve seen a stretch where he’s been efficient, but not consistently. So right now, what we can push for is to get that consistency," Fernandez said before the game.
The head coach and Brooklyn received just that. Traore led the charge with 23 points on 7-of-18 shooting, including nailing five baskets from behind the arc. He also dished out seven assists.
Wilson became equally efficient, delivering 19 points including hitting 5-of-6 from field goal range. Their performances helped erase a brief a four-point deficit...which also saw Brooklyn's 17-point lead evaporate.
But here's what Brooklyn's win also does: Officially guarantees that the Nets won't have the league's worst record. Now it appears Brooklyn and the Indiana Pacers will battle to see who will own the league's third-worst record.
Brooklyn jumped on Washington early with a 35-23 lead in the first quarter. The Wizards responded by outscoring the Nets 31-24 to close out the second quarter.
The Nets even got out-rebounded with a 41-35 advantage. But protected the rim at a higher rate, by blocking nine total shots.
Forward E.J. Liddell, center Chaney Johnson and Trevon Scott all delivered two blocks. Josh Minott led the block party by hitting three on the evening.
Minott and Liddell both scored 15 points apiece. Powell delivered 13 points for Brooklyn. Ochai Agbaji provided 12 points for the winning team.
Johnson and Tyson Etienne both handed the Nets nine points apiece. Brooklyn forced a high number of turnovers as well with 20 while losing the basketball just 11 times.
The Nets also had the advantage in fast break points by hitting 21 there while also forcing 11 steals.
Brooklyn improves to 19-59 overall with four games left in the regular season. They host the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday.
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