Jordan Poole delivered in crunch time as the Washington Wizards ended their six-game skid with a 107-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
Poole scored 26 points and hit a pair of crucial shots down the stretch to help Washington secure its 10th victory of the season.
The Wizards trailed 97-96 before Poole drilled a three-pointer and followed it up with a long two-pointer to cap a decisive 7-0 run.
Bilal Coulibaly contributed 20 points for Washington, which had previously allowed at least 100 points in every game this season.
Ziaire Williams led Brooklyn with 19 points, but the Nets struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring just 12 points.
Brooklyn failed to register a field goal in the final 4:45, with its only points in that span coming from Cam Johnson’s free throws with 13 seconds remaining.
Washington held its opponent under 100 points for the first time this season while overcoming its own offensive struggles, scoring just 40 points in the second half.
The Wizards committed 23 turnovers but capitalized on key defensive stops and timely shooting in the closing minutes.
Brooklyn played without D’Angelo Russell and Noah Clowney due to ankle injuries, while Washington was missing Malcolm Brogdon and Alex Sarr for the same reason.
The Nets had been surging, winning seven of their previous nine games, but this loss dealt a setback to their play-in hopes.
Brooklyn is now 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the final play-in spot and has lost both matchups against Washington this season.
Coulibaly’s layup gave the Wizards a 98-97 lead before Poole took over, scoring Washington’s next seven points to put the game out of reach.
Poole and Coulibaly led a strong backcourt performance for the Wizards, who shot 50% from the field and 41.9% from deep.
Washington’s defensive effort was highlighted by Marcus Smart, who added 10 points, two assists, and a steal in 21 minutes off the bench.
Kyshawn George recorded 12 points, five assists, and three steals, providing another boost for Washington’s backcourt.
Brooklyn shot just 39.3% from the field and struggled from three-point range, converting 14-of-36 attempts.
Cameron Johnson finished with 17 points, while Trendon Watford added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Nets.
Washington improved to 10-47 with the victory, remaining at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Brooklyn dropped to 21-36 and faces an uphill battle to climb into the play-in tournament picture.
