Burke leads Wizards past Nets
WASHINGTON -- Trey Burke scored 20 of 27 his points in the first half as the Washington Wizards won their eighth straight home game with a 118-95 rout over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
John Wall had 19 points and 14 assists for the Wizards (16-16), who ended 2016 winning nine of 12 games and moving into playoff position despite starting 2-8.
Washington shot 56.6 percent from the field despite playing without second-leading scorer Bradley Beal. Beal suffered a sprained right ankle in the first half of Wednesday's 111-105 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Wizards improved to 2-0 against Brooklyn this season.
The Nets (8-24) have lost seven of eight overall and 26 straight road games to Eastern Conference opponents, including 13 this season. Trevor Booker and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each scored 16 points.
Burke finished 10 of 12 from the field and made all five of his 3-pointers after going scoreless in the previous two games and totaling 22 since Dec. 18.
Brooklyn's previous two games were both decided on buzzer-beaters. Wednesday's ended with Jimmy Butler's jumper giving the Chicago Bulls 101-99 home win. Washington's blistering start ended any thoughts of late game drama on Friday.
Rookie Sheldon McClellan replaced Beal in the starting lineup and had eight points, but it was Burke who filled in offensively. He made all seven of his field goal attempts in the first half, including four 3-pointers, as the Wizards led 66-50 at halftime.
Gortat dunked repeatedly in the third quarter for 11 points, and Wall's six assists in the period kept Brooklyn at arm's distance with a 91-77 lead entering the fourth quarter before the crowd of 16,461.
Washington outrebounded Brooklyn 44-32, scored 50 points in the paint and made 11 of 22 3-pointers.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12 points for the Nets. Jeremy Lin (strained left hamstring) missed his second straight game after playing the previous six, which followed a 17-game absence.
Washington won 118-113 at Brooklyn on Dec. 5.
NOTES: Nets F Joe Harris (hip pointer) missed his second straight game. ... Wizards C Danuel Ochefu (illness) was available after missing Wednesday's game. ... The Nets were allowing an NBA-worst 114.3 points per game before Friday. ... G Sheldon McClellan, who made his 11th appearance and third start of the season, had played more minutes for the Wizards this season in Chicago (55) than Washington (24) entering Friday. ... Brooklyn hosts the Utah Jazz on Monday. Washington starts a two-game Texas trip on Monday game at Houston. The Rockets won the first meeting 114-106 on Nov. 7.