Joe Johnson's jumper gives Nets double-overtime win over Wizards
Joe Johnson celebrates with teammates after hitting the game-winning shot in double overtime to give the Nets a 115-113 win over the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. (Jan. 4, 2013) Credit: Getty
WASHINGTON -- This one had letdown written all over it.
The Nets rode into town feeling rather good about themselves after their huge victory over the Thunder. They were playing the NBA's worst team in the Wizards, a squad they were supposed to squash.
Naturally, they needed an extra 10 minutes to avoid a potentially embarrassing loss and needed Joe Johnson to come to the rescue. Again.
Only the Nets.
"For whatever reason, we didn't come out with the same intensity and effort that we did in OKC," Johnson said after hitting a jumper with seven-tenths of a second remaining in the second overtime to propel the Nets to a 115-113 victory at Verizon Center on Friday night. "Maybe we may have underestimated this team a little bit."
In essence, the Nets (18-15) basically put their ski masks on and escaped town without falling flat on their faces against the awful Wizards (4-27).
"We're lucky to get a win any way we can get it," Deron Williams said.
Interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said: "I don't want to say lucky, so I'll say fortunate . . . I didn't love our execution, but it wasn't that bad, either."
Certainly not on the final play of the second extra session. The Nets ran a play for Johnson, hoping he'd come through the way he did against the Pistons on Dec. 14, when he hit a long jumper with one second left in the second overtime for the game-winner.
With the Wizards' Bradley Beal guarding him, Johnson saw a double-team coming from his left, went right and raised up from 18 feet for the winner. It was only his third shot since regulation ended with the score tied at 93.
"It's a great feeling because any time your players and coaches put you in a situation like that, that means they have the ultimate faith to come through," said Johnson, who had 18 points.
Brook Lopez had 27 points and 13 rebounds and Williams added 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. The Nets' Andray Blatche, in his return to Washington after getting amnestied by the Wizards, had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
How crazy was this one? With the Nets down 101-93, Keith Bogans drained a three-pointer with 1:14 left in the first overtime to ignite an 11-0 run, and the Nets went ahead 104-101 when Williams hit two free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining.
But Beal (24 points), running a pick-and-roll, freed himself up when Reggie Evans and Johnson got caught together trying to guard him. Beal's fallback three-pointer with 1.9 seconds left tied it at 104 to force the second overtime.
Why not foul there? "We haven't practiced it," Carlesimo said. "I like to foul, but if you haven't practiced it, that's on me."
Fortunately for the Nets, they found a way to get it done.
"We stuck with it," Lopez said. "We stuck together, fought through, and Joe hit a big shot at the end of the game."
