Wizards host Nets with hopes of retaining momentum from '25 finish

Wizards host Nets with hopes of retaining momentum from '25 finish

Hoping to prolong their rare winning stretch, the suddenly hot Washington Wizards host the Brooklyn Nets in the nation's capital on Friday.

After losing 23 of 28 to begin the season, Washington won three of four to finish the calendar year. Last time out, the Wizards pulled off a 114-113 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks as CJ McCollum drilled a go-ahead jumper with 1.2 seconds left on Wednesday.

Amid another disappointing season, Washington coach Brian Keefe is continuing to see his team build momentum heading into 2026.

"Thrilled for all of our guys. It's always nice to get a win," Keefe said on Wednesday. "What I'm really pleased about is how we're playing. Our resilience is growing. Our defense is improving. We have a long way to go. We're far from where we want to be, but we're making the right strides and we're winning the way we want to play."

Behind McCollum's team-leading 18.6 points per game, second-year center Alex Sarr is averaging 17.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest, asserting himself as a go-to player for the Wizards.

"I'm feeling pretty good in my role," said Sarr, the second overall selection in the 2024 draft. "I know what I have to bring every night and what I have to improve on, too."

Washington is getting key contributions from two other young players, as second-year man Kyshawn George adds 15 points per game and rookie Tre Johnson chips in 12.2 ppg.

Another Eastern Conference bottom-feeder, Brooklyn, pieced together a season-best three-game winning streak last week but has since dropped consecutive home games to the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets.

The Nets never led in their 120-96 defeat against Houston on Thursday, marking the seventh time they failed to reach 100 points. Brooklyn's average of 109.2 points per game ranks last in the NBA.

"We've got to continue to fight and do the right things," Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. "I thought that we couldn't find our energy (on Thursday). ... The best thing about the NBA is we have another one (on Friday). We've got to keep growing and keep working."

On a roster filled with youth and inexperience, rookies Danny Wolf and Drake Powell earned the first starts of their careers against the Rockets, scoring nine and eight points, respectively. Wolf added five assists and four rebounds.

"I trust that they'll do the right things," Fernandez said of the first-year duo. "Their intentions have always been great. I need them to be aggressive. I need them to be more decisive. I know they can be much better, and that's why my standards for them are always going to be high."

Wolf is averaging 7.5 points per outing, while Powell adds 6.0.

Offseason acquisition Michael Porter Jr. is enjoying career highs in nearly every statistical category, including a 25.8 ppg clip that ranks 14th in the league. Porter was sidelined on Thursday due to an illness.

The Nets won at Washington 129-106 on Nov. 16 thanks to Porter's 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

--Field Level Media