Mikal Bridges scores 27 points to lead Nets past Wizards

Some businesses close on Sundays. The Nets and Wizards were in action but their shooting took a day off.

It almost ruined the Nets welcoming back Nic Claxton from injury. But Mikal Bridges shook off his own poor shooting to spur a fourth quarter comeback as the Nets won 102-94 at Barclays Center.

The Nets had their second-fewest point total this season against a Wizards team ranked last in points allowed per game. But trailing 92-87 with 3:25 left, they closed the game on a 15-2 run.

“These are games that you can definitely lose,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Six minute mark, I think somewhere around there, we got our group together and just talked about that this is a game that we can win. I think we started locking into details and really executed at the end.”

Bridges scored five of his 10 fourth quarter points during that stretch, including a steal and layup to tie the game at 92. He put the Nets ahead for good with a free throw and jumper on back-to-back possessions.

The Nets (5-5) also forced four turnovers in the final 2:30, including three on consecutive Wizards (2-7) possessions. Claxton’s fourth block with 55.5 seconds left stopped a Kyle Kuzma layup with the Nets up three and after Kuzma missed a three-pointer, Johnson grabbed the rebound and later scored to seal the game.

Claxton, who missed eight games with a high ankle sprain, had 10 points and 13 rebounds, three shy of his career high. Three of his blocks came in the fourth quarter.

“There was just no other way. You got to win,” said Bridges, who had a team-high 27 points. “We were down, so you gotta get stops to win. We just locked in and pulled it through. I don't think anybody on that court wanted to lose, so just wanted to find a way.”

Added Claxton, “Those last two minutes of the game, those are crucial minutes and all five guys on the court, we just came together and got those stops and stuck to the game plan.”

It helped the Nets recover from 19 turnovers and shooting a season-worst 37.8% from the field. The Wizards (2-7) weren’t that much better, shooting 37.5%. Both teams combined to shoot 24.4% on 3-pointers.

Johnson shot 2-for-11 on threes in his second game back from a strained calf. Bridges, who’s shooting a career-low 30.2% on threes, was just 2-for-14 beyond the arc and missed his first five attempts. He had a career-high 29 shot attempts but also had a career-high 13 rebounds.

“The threes just hurt when you just keep missing them and you know you're missing them,” Bridges said. “So just staying with it. Just trying to win the game.”

The Nets had a season-high 66 rebounds which kept them ahead through three quarters. They led by as many as 17 but the Wizards slowly climbed back to take an 82-81 lead. It was a part of 15-2 Wizards run at that point.

But the Nets, who’ve been through close games through this 10-game opening stretch, buckled down and punched last. They also survived another injury scare when Lonnie Walker IV came down awkwardly on his left leg after driving for a layup.

He left the game with a left knee injury but returned in the third quarter. Walker, whose five points ended his streak of eight games with at least 10 points, said he’s battled the knee issue since the second game but wanted to keep playing.

It was a motto the Nets lived by Sunday when they couldn’t shoot straight until they did late.

“It's the perfect example where we could definitely have split apart, not win this basketball game,” Vaughn said. “Somehow we figured out how to stay together and make plays at the end of the game [and] trusted that we're a good enough team to get it done.”

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.