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Sports

Nets head to D.C. to meet suddenly-streaking Wizards

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

The Brooklyn Nets have handled their business against teams with a record below .500 this season and look to continue the trend Friday on the road against the Washington Wizards.

The Nets are 18-1 against teams with a record under the .500 mark and squeezed past the Detroit Pistons, 93-90, on Wednesday behind Joe Johnson's two free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining. Brook Lopez gave the Nets a three-point lead on a layup prior to Johnson's clutch shooting from the foul line.

Johnson finished with 16 points and four boards, while Gerald Wallace contributed 14 points in the victory.

"We had a lot of people play well," said Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo, who is 15-6 since taking over for Avery Johnson. "The thing (the bench) did really well was close the quarter really well in the first and second, and obviously the fourth."

Nets point guard Deron Williams had 12 points and nine assists, and surpassed the 5,000 career assist mark.

Brooklyn has alternated wins and losses over its last six games and will try to move above .500 on the road (11-11).

The Wizards will close out a three-game homestand Friday and has won two in a row since dropping four straight.

In Wednesday's 106-96 win over the New York Knicks, John Wall filled the stat sheet with 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds for the Wizards, who had lost their last 10 meetings with the Knicks.

"We're just competing," Wall said of beating another top team. "We're competing against every team we play against, no matter who it is. We know those types of teams are capable of knocking you out pretty early, but we just keep fighting."

Trevor Ariza scored a season-high 20 points off the bench and Washington made 53.2 percent of its shots, including 11-of-20 3-pointers. Nene chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds and Martell Webster netted 19 points.

Washington, which has held the last seven opponents to under 100 points, is 10-14 in D.C. this season and has won four in a row as the host against teams from the Eastern Conference. In injury news for the Wizards, rookie guard Bradley Beal (wrist) is questionable for Friday.

The Wizards lost the first meeting with Brooklyn this season, a 115-113 double-overtime thriller on Jan. 4 at the Verizon Center. Washington is 8-4 in the previous 12 matchups with the Nets.