Nets 102, Wizards 80
Brook Lopez scored 25 of his 26 points off the bench in the second half to lead visiting Brooklyn past Washington in the opener of a home-and-home series.
Jarrett Jack collected 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Nets, who snapped a seven-game slide. Mason Plumlee added 11 points and 10 boards for his 10th double-double while Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12 points for Brooklyn.
John Wall was the only starter to score in double figures with 13 points for the Wizards, who were held to a season low in scoring. Kris Humphries had 12 points and eight rebounds in a reserve role for Washington.
The Wizards scored the final seven points of the first quarter to take a 24-18 lead but gave it all back as the Nets scored the first seven of the second. Plumlee’s three-point play highlighted a 7-2 run ending the half that sent Brooklyn into the locker room with a 43-40 cushion.
Paul Pierce’s 3-pointer tied it at 51 for Washington, but Lopez scored 11 points during a 16-3 run that put the Nets in front for good. Lopez’s three-point play extended the advantage to 76-62 with 9:42 remaining and he hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 19 points with 5:48 left as Brooklyn put it away.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Lopez’s second-half outburst marked the most points scored by any Nets player in any half this season. … Washington went 4-of-17 from 3-point range and committed 19 turnovers. … Brooklyn hosts the back end of the home-and-home on Saturday.