Bullets Forever - Wizards vs Nets: Washington gets buried in a Deron Williams flurry"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2013-03-09T10:25:36-05:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/38446472013-03-09T10:25:36-05:002013-03-09T10:25:36-05:00Recap roundup: D-Will beats Wiz by himself
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vhls4yyUBDhZyX4jgd4Qr47jkuw=/0x0:3999x2666/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9372795/20130308_jla_aw8_114.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Seriously, there's gotta be some kind of law against that.</p> <p>Here's your recap roundup for last night 95-78 bludgeoning at the hands of the Nets, but mostly just Deron Williams, who matched the Wizards with 33 first-half points due mostly to his NBA-record nine (!!!) first-half three pointers. Gak! Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/3/8/4080606/wizards-vs-nets-game-preview-2013" target="_blank">our StoryStream</a> as well as these postgame interviews with <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/randy-wittman-postgame-3-8-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">Randy Wittman</a>, <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/john-wall-postgame-3-8-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">John Wall</a>, <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/martell-webster-postgame-3-8-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">Martell Webster</a> and <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/aj-price-postgame-3-8-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">A.J. Price</a>, courtesy of Monumental Network.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards/wizards-vs-nets-deron-williams-hits-11-three-pointers-as-washington-falls-95-78/2013/03/08/4095bb54-8862-11e2-98a3-b3db6b9ac586_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post gamer</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Williams finished with a career-high 11 threes - coming one shy of the all-time mark shared by <span>Kobe Bryant</span> and <span>Donyell Marshall</span> - and the Wizards could only pay their respects to the one-time all-star and be grateful that he cooled off in the second half.</p>
<p>"Just a hell of a shooting display," Coach <span>Randy Wittman</span> said. "He got hot. Don't know if I've ever seen anything quite like that before in the first half."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2013/03/09/wizards-buried-under-deron-williams-first-half-three-point-barrage/" target="_blank">Washington Post sidebar</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>At halftime, Williams had matched the entire Wizards team with 33 - despite attempting no free throws - and set a new NBA record with nine three-pointers in one half. It was bad enough that they couldn't keep up with Williams in the first two quarters, even worse that they had more missed field goals (35) than points.</p>
<p>The Wizards don't have to search long and hard into why they lost to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>, 95-78, on Friday at Barclays Center. They couldn't shoot for the entire game and they didn't or perhaps couldn't find with the guy in the white jersey, wearing No. 8. Whether he was coming off screens, pulling up in transition, or simply being ignored, Williams buried the Wizards before they had a chance to see the shovel.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/williams-hits-11-3s-scores-083224713--nba.html" target="_blank">Associated Press</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Deron Williams sensed the disappointment from the crowd, strange as it seemed given how well he played.<br>He gave the ball to the open man - just what a point guard is supposed to do.</p>
<p>''I thought they were going to boo me one time because I didn't shoot it,'' he said.</p>
<p>In one of the best 3-point shooting nights in NBA history, who wanted to see him pass?</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://districtsportspage.com/washington-wizards-game-60-wrap-deron-williams-and-brooklyn-nets-dominate-wizards-95-78/15747" target="_blank">District Sports Page</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Nothing quite sums up just how bad this game was than the fact that Brooklyn's Deron Williams broke the record for three-pointers in a half by hitting nine leading the Nets in scoring. At one point at the start of the second half Williams had as many points, 33, as the entire Wizards. At one point, Williams was the only player to hit a three in the entire game, until Washington's <span>Martell Webster</span> hit one at the start of the second half.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/wittman-left-awe-williams-three-point-shooting" target="_blank">CSN Washington recap</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The defense improved in the second half and held the Nets to less than 40% shooting overall. The Wizards were able to cut the deficit from 27 to 13 with nine minutes left in the game, but they didn't have enough offense to get over the hump.</p>
<p>"He hit six 3s that quick," Wall said of Williams' start that spotted the Nets a 22-2 lead. "We wasn't making shots all night. For him to six 3s and you're not scoring, three points add up quicker than two. That's 18 right there. It's kind of tough to get through that when you're not making any shots."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://wizofawes.com/2013/03/08/deron-williams-torches-wizards-in-brooklyn/" target="_blank">Wiz of Awes</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>On top of Williams torching Washington, <span>Reggie Evans</span> grabbed 24 rebounds in 32 minutes of playing time. There was a sequence in which the Nets ran a isolation play for Evans in the post, which resulted into a nifty left hook. Evans, who is one of the worst offensive players in the league, looked like a formidable post player in tonight's game. I mean, it was that kind of night for Washington. Absolutely everything that could've gone wrong, went wrong.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/deron-williams-catches-fire-breaks-nba-record-three-032807787--nba.html" target="_blank">Ball Don't Lie</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The previous mark for three-pointers nailed in a half, eight, was shared by Bryant, <span>Tim Thomas</span>, <span>Michael Redd</span>, <span>Ray Allen</span>, and <span>Tracy McGrady</span> - so it was nice of Williams to save a few trees when it came time every year for the NBA to print out its all-time record holders. Deron hit 12-16 shots overall in that first half, and probably would have had an easier time working toward Bryant and Marshall's record of 12 had Washington not (smartly, if tediously) not attempted a hack-a-Reggie Evans strategy on the poor-shooting Brooklyn Nets forward.<br><br>Evans, a 50 percent free throw shooter entering the night, missed 11 of 16 freebies, but was given rapturous Brooklyn applause whenever one of his attempts went down. Applause that -- and even Williams admitted as much after the contest -- rivaled the noise made when Deron set his record in the first half.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://deadspin.com/5989638/at-the-end-of-the-first-quarter-last-night-deron-williams-had-made-more-threes-than-the-wizards-had-field-goals" target="_blank">Deadspin</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A few mind-blowing stats from <span>Deron Williams's</span> record-setting shooting night, in which he hit nine threes in one half (the record) and 11 overall: At the end of the first quarter, he had hit 8/9 shots, and was 7/7 from downtown. The Wizards, at that point, were six of 24 from the field, and had missed all six of their three-point tries. At one point, the score was 22-2, and Williams had hit six threes. He had hit three times as many threes as the Wizards had points. (How about Greg Anthony calling the threes "fool's gold" at about the 30-second mark in the video above, when Williams had only made a few?) The Wizards, who had an especially bad shooting night irrespective of Williams's brilliance, have a way of making excellence look downright God-like by comparison.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/wizards-nets-instant-analysis-0" target="_blank">CSN Washington sidebar</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Wall gave up on his jump shot early after he missed his first three shots. In the second quarter, he had two open shots inside right elbow and deferred. Williams went underneath the screen and instead of taking the shot Wall passed it to <span>Chris Singleton</span> in traffic. Singleton passed it back to Wall who was still open. He passed it out to the perimeter to Martin. Wall finished 6-for-19 for a team-high 16 points. He only had three assists but just one turnover.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/game-recap-wizards-78-nets-95" target="_blank">WashingtonWizards.com</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Wizards found themselves down 24-2 right out of the gate, as Deron Williams went off and hit his first eight three pointers of the game. The Wizards found themselves down 38-14 after one quarter and had to fight their way back the rest of the game.</p>
<p>The first half was the Deron Williams show, as he matched the Wizards in points with 33. The Wizards found themselves down 59-33 at the half and had a lot of work cut out for the second half.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/09/sports/basketball/nets-deron-williams-hits-11-3s-and-scores-42-in-win.html?ref=sports&_r=0" target="_blank">NY Times</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Williams's first-half performance single-handedly built enough of a cushion for the Nets to cruise past Washington, 95-78, at Barclays Center. Williams finished with 42 points on 11-of-16 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. He fell one 3-pointer short of tying the N.B.A. record and became one of six players to record 11 in a game.</p>
<p>"I definitely got hot, especially in that first half," Williams said. "They were shots when they leave your hand they feel like they're really good. And I just kept shooting."</p>
<p>Forward Reggie Evans said, "He was hot like fish grease."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/dazzling-deron-williams-scores-42-points-hits-nba-record-3-pointers-article-1.1283700" target="_blank">NY Daily News</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Making Evans' simile even more appropriate was the fact that Williams figuratively burned the nylon nets and literally burned through two pairs of sneakers - forcing him to change footwear twice because the soles ripped off. He drained eight straight 3-pointers to start the game and scored 33 of his 42 points in the first half. His night included multiple landmarks, including an NBA record for 3-pointers in a half (nine), the franchise record for threes in a quarter (seven), the team mark for threes in a game (11), a personal high for 3-pointers in a game and a season-high in points for the Nets. He fell one 3-pointer short of the single-game NBA record of 12, held by Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall. Vince Carter held the previous Nets record for threes in a game with nine.</p>
<p>"No clue," Williams said about his record-setting night.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/three_will_5LS8vL1q1TSX6wEN54ZaPL" target="_blank">NY Post</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>It reached a crescendo when Williams received a pass from Reggie Evans following a <span>Brook Lopez</span> blocked shot and raced up the right side of the floor. From the moment the ball hit his hands, his intentions were clear, and he soon was pulling up from the right wing and draining a 25-foot bomb that gave the Nets a 22-2 lead with 7:19 remaining in the first quarter.</p>
<p>"That was a heat check," Williams said. "Think I should've shot another one after that, too. Joe [Johnson] told me I should've when I got back to the bench."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.netsdaily.com/2013/3/8/4081090/nets-wizards-final-recap-score-2013" target="_blank">Nets Daily</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> entered tonight's game against the Nets with a 5-22 record on the road. Yes, five road wins and we're a week into March. What could possibly go wrong. Cut to, dot-dot-dot...</p>
<p>Nothing. Nothing could go wrong. Not with the way Deron Williams was shooting the ball, on this record-setting night. Williams made his first seven 3-point attempts in the first quarter, and dropped nine total threes in the first half, scoring 33 points. From there, he went on to make two more, scoring 42 points and leading the Nets to a 95-78 victory over the Wizards.</p>
<p>Oh, and Reggie Evans. I mean, he was fantastic, with 24 rebounds and 11 points.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/9033227/deron-williams-brooklyn-nets-sets-nba-record-3-pointers-half-nine" target="_blank">ESPN New York</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>"He was hot like fish grease," said Nets power forward Reggie Evans, who added a career-high 24 rebounds and 11 points.</p>
<p>"You could say that," said Williams, who opened the game by hitting six 3-pointers in the opening 4 minutes and 45 seconds as the Nets jumped out to a 24-2 lead. "I definitely got hot -- especially in the first half. I just found myself really open. They were helping off me and going under screens, so I hit the first couple -- and when those shots leave your hand, they feel like they're good, so I just kept shooting."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://thebrooklyngame.com/new-shoes-new-highs-new-records-for-deron-williams/" target="_blank">The Brooklyn Game</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In a down-and-up season for Williams -- he struggled with his shot to start the season -- Friday night marked his best game of the season and an apex for his shooting; after shooting exactly 30% from three-point range in November & December, an 11-16 night from beyond the arc against Washington upped his three-point percentage to 47% since January 1st and a scorching 53% since his detoxifying juice cleanse and platelet-rich plasma treatment heading into the All-Star break.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324582804578349173004904146.html?mod=rss_newyork_main" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Power forward Reggie Evans, who had committed a turnover in 42% of his possessions over his previous three games, finished with a career-high 24 rebounds and just three turnovers. He added 11 points, which is the most he's scored since a Jan. 25 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a>, and Evans would have had more had he done better than 5 for 16 at the line.</p>
<p>Fans even showered Evans with a standing ovation when he made two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter after missing six consecutive foul shots.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/nets/deron-williams-sets-nets-record-with-11-three-pointers-1.4781767" target="_blank">Newsday</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>But the night belonged to the man who seemingly couldn't miss, and with more nights like this, all of Brooklyn might belong to Williams, too. "It is," he said, "a different feeling."</p>
<p>You might say it was the kind of night Williams needed to win over New York. But according to P.J. Carlesimo, if you did say that, you would be -- unlike Williams -- off the mark.</p>
<p>"I don't think Deron needs it," the interim coach said. "He's that good. He's been that good for so long that when he plays a game like this, it is a normal outcome."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://web.yesnetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130308&content_id=42491094&oid=36318" target="_blank">YES Network</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Nets led wire-to-wire, and it was Williams' night from the word go; he hit his first eight three-point attempts on the night, had 18 points within the first five minutes, and brought the Barclays Center crowd to their feet every time he touched the ball...well, almost.</p>
<p>"I thought they were going to boo me at one point," Williams joked after the game, "when I brought the ball across and may have had a shot but I gave it Joe (Johnson)...it was kind of like the crowd went 'awwww' at that point."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://fromrussiawithdunk.com/2013/03/08/brooklyn-nets-vs-washington-wizards-recap-deron-williams-explodes-from-behind-the-arc-nets-win/" target="_blank">From Russia With Dunk</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>This was definitely one of the more memorable games of the season for Nets fans. The Nets played one of their best halves of the season in the first half tonight and were up 59-33 at halftime, led by Deron Williams's shooting. However, they really cooled off in the second half and only scored 36 points total in the half. Luckily, the first quarter effort was enough to carry them to the easy win.</p>
</blockquote>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/3/9/4082546/wizards-vs-nets-recap-roundup-deron-williams-commits-assault-with-nbaJeff Newman2013-03-08T21:58:12-05:002013-03-08T21:58:12-05:00Williams en fuego as Washington falls 95-78
<figure>
<img alt="There was a lot of this." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pRrPoMQ4xLB8dn2LpTEhcd2DOt4=/0x110:2610x1850/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9355957/163277538.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>There was a lot of this. | Streeter Lecka</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Washington Wizards fell to the Brooklyn Nets, 95-78 as Deron Williams made an NBA record nine first half three pointers.</p> <p><span>Deron Williams</span> can really play. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>' All-Star point guard set an NBA record with nine three pointers in the first half on the way to 42 for the game as he almost single-handedly defeated Washington, 95-78. There was nothing particularly bad about Washington's defense on Williams, even in the first half when he was particularly good; Williams just had one of those nights where every shot he took seemed to go in. His 33 first half points matched Washington's total as a team and, even though he slowed down a bit in the second half, he'd put the game so far out of reach that Washington just couldn't make up the difference.</p>
<p>Despite being blown out, Washington didn't play all that poorly for most of the game and was actually the better team in the second half. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a moral victory, but if there's a silver lining here, it's that the defense was good enough to hold the Nets to below 40% shooting despite Williams' crazy night.</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">This game was basically over within the first five minutes. Brooklyn jumped out to a 24-2 lead before the six minute mark in the first quarter. Deron Williams was somewhere between excellent and transcendent. He hit a bunch of threes and Washington, possibly spooked, started having trouble with their defensive rotations.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Williams went on to hit seven three pointers ... in the first quarter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">This tweet basically sums up the first quarter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">End of 1: Deron Williams 23, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> 14. The Nets lead 38-14.</span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) </span><a style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" href="https://twitter.com/briancmahoney/status/310195276818292736">March 9, 2013</a>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Washington didn't look good and Brooklyn was really hot. End of story.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">The second quarter was more of the same. Washington started scoring a bit more and we saw some regression to the mean. <span>Cartier Martin</span> debuted and was pretty unmemorable, while Seraphin and Blatche seemed to be trying to outplay each other. Washington continued to fall farther and farther behind as all of Brooklyn's perimeter players seemed to be on a mission to embarrass the Wizards.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Williams continued to light it up in the second. He had nine threes and 33 points overall at halftime. Washington had 33 points as a team. Wall and Ariza did what they could, but the Wizards just haven't been able to contain Williams. It's not even necessarily that they're doing anything wrong. It's impossible to contain a guy like Williams when he's making like 80% of his threes. If there's any silver lining at all here, it's that he's rarely gotten all the way to the basket.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Washington opened the third with some highlight plays from Wall and Ariza. Unfortunately, a little bit of transition success wasn't enough to get Brooklyn's lead out of the 20s. Wittman and Nene were both visibly frustrated, with the former getting hit with a technical at one point. A career night from a player like Williams as well as the constant presence of <span>Reggie Evans</span> will do that to a team.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Some way, somehow Washington got back in it. A couple of transition buckets, an Okafor postup, and some Blatche turnovers allowed Washington to get back within 14 at the close of the third quarter. They looked a lot better out of the gate and you almost have to wonder how this game would have played out had Williams hit, say, four three pointers in the first half.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">The fourth quarter opened up with more back and forth. Washington's offense went cold until Price's three cut the Nets' lead to 13, the lowest it had been since the first quarter. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Reggie Evans dominated the boards all night. He set a career high when he recorded his 23rd rebound about midway through the fourth quarter.</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/3/8/4081164/washington-wizards-brooklyn-nets-recap-deron-williams-record-three-pointersThomas Pruitt2013-03-08T17:17:27-05:002013-03-08T17:17:27-05:00Your Wizards-Nets game thread
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AoCI3ha_AU9TRTccd7nO4u7AhBA=/0x224:4000x2891/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9344245/20130208_ajl_au3_083.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Discuss the game here.</p> <table cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3">2012/2013 NBA Regular Season</th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://theclassical.org/sites/default/files/brooklyn-nets-logo_circlealternate.jpg" height="72" width="72"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/wizards_alt_logo_hand.gif" height="72" width="80"></center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>March 8, 2013</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Barclay's Center</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>7:30 p.m.</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>CSN, 106.7 The Fan</strong></td></tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Projected Starting Lineups</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Deron Williams</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>John Wall</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Joe Johnson</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Martell Webster</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Gerald Wallace</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/6/3959250/trevor-ariza-one-of-six-starters-for-the-washington-wizards" style="background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration: underline;">Trevor Ariza</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Reggie Evans</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Nene</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Brook Lopez</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><span>Emeka Okafor</span></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>2012/13 Advanced Stats</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">88.3 (30th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">92.1 (13th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">106.4 (10th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">98.4 (30th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">105.9 (15th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">102.1 (6th)</td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Also see: <a href="http://www.netsdaily.com">Nets Daily</a> | <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/3/8/4080606/wizards-vs-nets-game-preview-2013">StoryStream</a> | <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/wizards-fast-break-3-8-13/index.jsp">Fast Break</a> </th></tr> </tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>Here's your game thread. No word on <span>Bradley Beal's</span> status tonight. I am not around tonight and will watch on delay. homas is recapping, so he'll update once more info on Beal comes in.</p>
<p>UPDATE: Beal is out and Trevor Ariza will start in his place.</p>
<p>GO WIZARDS!</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/3/8/4080674/wizards-vs-nets-game-time-tv-schedule-and-open-threadMike Prada2013-03-08T14:00:07-05:002013-03-08T14:00:07-05:00Meet Brooklyn's finest
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NEDA7lpZ9lUYXTR-600mAjfUicM=/0x0:3999x2666/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9329557/20130104_ajl_sb4_254.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Washington Wizards travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on March 8 2013. Here's everything you need to know.</p> <p>Coming off a tough loss to a bad Minnesota team, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> try for redemption when they face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>. Both teams have had some problems of late and whether or not Washington can rise to the occasion and get a victory will say a lot about both teams' direction.</p>
<p><b>Where and when?</b> Tip off is at 7:30 at the Barclay's Center.</p>
<p><b>Are they good?</b> Brooklyn is 35-26, yet they have the point differential of a 31-30 team. Despite all of the hype, they're basically good enough to make the playoffs and maybe even the second round if they get lucky, but nothing more.</p>
<p><b>Who's out?</b> <span>Bradley Beal</span> is day to day for Washington, while Brooklyn is expected to have all hands on deck.</p>
<p><b>Why should I care?</b> The Barclay's Center is gorgeous, the Nets are fun to watch, <span>Andray Blatche</span> will play, <span>John Wall</span> will get to square off against <span>Deron Williams</span> and watching the NBA on a Friday night is about as good a way to unwind after a busy week.</p>
<p><b>What are they good at? </b>Scoring off the dribble. <strike>New Jersey</strike> Brooklyn boasts the NBA's 10th best offense largely due to the high skill level of players like Williams, Blatche and <span>Joe Johnson</span>. Having multiple ball handlers on the floor at almost all times has likely contributed to <span>Brook Lopez's</span> breakout season, too, as the fifth year center is scoring at a career-high rate with a decent level of efficiency.</p>
<p><b>What are they bad at?</b> Believe it or not, taking care of the ball. Brooklyn is 25th in the league in turnover percentage, something that can be tied back to their abundance of veteran playmakers. Too many guys try to make plays with the ball rather than catching and shooting or focusing on off ball movement. While the Nets take a lot of three pointers, they would likely be able to upgrade their offense significantly if they were able to replace someone like <span>Reggie Evans</span> or <span>Gerald Wallace</span> with a <span>Steve Novak</span> or <span>Kyle Korver</span> type.</p>
<p><b>How will Washington do?</b> Probably pretty well. Washington has played Brooklyn well in both of their previous meetings this season, the first of which was before Wall returned to the lineup. Brooklyn has to be considered the favorite due to their record and homecourt advantage, but this is the type of game against the type of team that the Wizards have tended to overperform against this year.</p>
<p><b>Where can I read more about the Nets?</b> <a href="http://www.netsdaily.com/" target="_blank">Check out Nets Daily</a>.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/3/8/4079528/washington-wizards-brooklyn-nets-preview-march-8Thomas Pruitt