NSL Insider - Round 1 Review: Wizards V Brooklyn

by JustinG, updated on Wednesday, May 29 2024, 06:56 pm EST

Series Review: Washington vs Brooklyn

In a 1 seed vs 8 seed matchup, the Wizards took on the Nets, the winner would enter into the 2nd round of the NSL playoffs, and the loser would go home empty handed. The experts were unanimous, 100% of the 15 votes tipped Washington into the 2nd round, and for good reason. Washington won each of the 3 regular season contests by an average of almost 20 points, and they were looking to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions, after edging the Bucks for the 1 seed late in the regular season. The Nets had long been chosen as a potential hot riser in the NSL(2, maybe 3 seasons now) so much of the league was elated to see their hypothesis come true.

Game 1, @ WAS, 129 WAS- 111 BKN

Washington got the scoring, and the wins started early. Devin Booker was the lead horse in the Washington machine in that one, he went off for 46 points, on an effective 15/24 from the field, and 6/10 from behind the arc. Clint Capela, always a huge piece to Washington’s success came up with 8 points, 16 boards, and 2 steals and blocks a piece. 2/3 lead guys for BKN got going. Lauri Markannen contributed 27 points, and Jamaal Murray contributed 29. Brandon Ingram let down the Nets a bit in game 1, as he only offered 12 points on 5/13 from the field. First blood, Washington!

Game 2, @ WAS, 130 WAS – 113 BKN

In a game and engine known for it’s variance, game 2 was surprisingly similar to game 1 in terms of the final score. Devin Booker went off again for 39 points, but in game 2, his running mate Lebron James also joined the party. Lebron finished game 2 with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, a stat-line we are all to familiar with seeing from him over the years. The Net’s responded to a game 1 loss with a shuffling of the starting unit. Game 2 saw Lauri start on the bench, and the results weren’t what GM Breece had hoped for. The top player for BKN in an otherwise forgettable game 2 was Jamaal Murray, who finished with 25 points and 8 assists on 9/13 from the field.

Game 3, @ BKN, 131 BKN- 117 WAS

While Washington made a bit of a late push, game 3 was Brooklyn’s from the jump. Brooklyn jumped all over Washington in the 1st half, as they got out to a 61-50 halftime lead. Markannen, Micic, Ingram, and Murray all scored over 15 points, and the team as a whole shot over .520 on the game. The big tipper was the TO ratio, which Brooklyn won 11-4 in this game. 32 from Lebon, and 29 from Booker wasn’t enough, as the Washington supporting cast let down their stars a bit in game 3, at least in comparison to games 1 and 2. Brooklyn strikes back!

Game 4, @ BKN, BKN 126- WAS 124

Game 4 was the closest game of the entire series, and for a second, the entire league sat in wait, and wondered if this was a turning point to be in this series. Brooklyn once again came out hot, racing out to an 11-point 1st quarter lead. KCP, Murray, Micic, and Ingram all scored over 20 points once again, and Markannen had 19 off the bench. Ingram had a huge game going 29, 7, and 5, in a sorely needed effort to push the Nets over the top. The Wizards had quite the game from Clint Capela, who finished with 19 points and 20 board, but Devin Booker’s performance fell short of what was needed to scratch out a win for Washington. For the first time since 0-0, the series was tied once again!

Game 5, @ WAS, WAS 128- BKN 106

A return to normalcy for the Wizards in game 5, and boy oh boy, was it one to watch, if you are a Devin Booker or Lebron James fan at least. After a tweak at the controls from GM Joshua, Washington came out with a renewed focus. That focus was getting the ball to Lebron James and Devin Booker, and allowing them to put the team on their backs, and that’s exactly what they did. 46 from Booker, and 47 from James, on the way to another Washington win. The Wizards won the rebound battle, won the turnover battle, and shot at a higher percentage. Plainly speaking, the Nets were just never in game 5. Another let down game from Micic rendered the Nets with their backs against the wall. Brooklyn up 3-2.

Game 6, @ BKN, 122 BKN- 127 WAS

After a valiant fight from Brooklyn all series, the Wizards proved to be too much to handle in a 7-game series. 39 points for Lebron, 30 for Booker, and 2 great bench appearances from Eric Gordon and Aaron Wiggins was enough to push the Wizards over the finish line, and into round 2. Murray and Ingram did their best, scoring 25 a piece, in what was a great series for both players, but they were overmatched in the series.

Lebron and Booker led Washington back into the 2nd round of the playoffs. Clint Capela, Delon Wright, Eric Gordon, and others all stepped up when needed. This will/should be remembered as a building block season for the Nets. After they had come of a bit of a down season(in comparison to their perceived trajectory) the Nets made a few moves, mainly sending out Kyrie Irving to shake things up. Their new look looks to be much more sustainable, and they have the making of a group that should only continue to get better. Cheers to both GM’s and teams on successful seasons!

	HOU	113
	CHA	108

	MEM	105
	DET	114

	CLE	105
	OKC	113

	UTAH	106
	PHI	118

	BOS	114
	ATL	91

NSL Insider - Round 1 Review: Wizards V Brooklyn

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