I thought it was over when Rasual Butler hit that ridiculous, fading three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. I really did. The life was sucked out of Barclays Center, the Nets looked like they’d packed it in en route to a three-day break.

But behind another inexplicably good game from Jarrett Jack, the Nets clawed back into the fray, erasing the seven-point third-quarter lead in a matter of minutes, only to falter once again down the stretch behind poor decision-making, as the Wizards proved just too talented to lose a second straight.

Not a bad effort overall by the Nets, who played it close throughout the second half against what’s still a tough Eastern Conference team. But they were awful lucky to be in this one. The Wizards shot a putrid mark from the free throw line through most of the game, turning what should’ve been a double-digit lead into a close game down the stretch.