An Earl Boykins jumper with .4 seconds left was enough to sink the New Jersey Nets tonight at the Izod Center, as the fell to the Washington Wizards 81-79.
- I guess this is a good story for the NBA: the diminutive Boykins, who wasn’t even in the league last year, scoring 15 points and hitting the game winner. But to quote the great Derrick Coleman, whoop-dee-damned-doo.
- The Nets could never put the Wizards away tonight. Despite leading by 12 in the first half, the Nets kept letting Washington hang around in this game and it bit them in the rear in the game’s final few minutes.
- Here was a night where the Nets rebounding woes really came home to roost. Washington had a 40-32 advantage on the glass, including 15 offensive rebounds. Considering the Nets outshot the Wizards (45.5 percent to 42.1 percent), and had less turnovers (19-16) and you could say the game was lost on the glass.
- Courtney Lee was on pace for a career night with 17 first-half points, but finished with 19.
- Kris Humphries struggled big-time tonight, shooting 1-8 from the field (8 points) and committing a costly turnover with about 1:20 left when he was caught in no-man’s land with the ball as the shot clock expired.
- 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for Brook Lopez, who also made a beautiful spin, up and under move on Brendan Haywood to tie the game at 79. If we could only clone you, Brook.
- Better effort from Chris Douglas-Roberts tonight with 8 points and 9 rebounds.
