National Basketball Association
Washington 111, Brooklyn 96
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 26, 2015
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Officials: #5 Kane Fitzgerald, #44 Eli Roe, #15 Zach Zarba
Attendance: 17732

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Washington Wizards rookie guard Jarell Eddie was forced to wear an audacious red Christmas-themed suit before the game as part of his initiation into the NBA.

But his actions were louder than his apparel in his debut, knocking down four 3-pointers to help lead the Wizards to a 111-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center.

Eddie, who was signed Wednesday, had 12 points off the bench on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range as the Wizards won their fourth straight game and reached .500 at 14-14.

"It's just an amazing feeling, man," Eddie said. "You prepare so much and to go out there and be able to knock down shots when you're open and teammates find you, it's a blessing."

Eddie, who spent the last two seasons with the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League after going undrafted out of Virginia Tech, technically missed first attempt -- a 72-footer as time expired in the third quarter.

But Eddie buried a 3-pointer for his first NBA points to extend the Wizards' lead to five early in the fourth quarter. His second 3-pointer gave Washington a nine-point edge and his third was part of a 12-0 run capped by a layup from guard John Wall to give Washington its largest lead of the game at 102-84 with 4:40 left.

Washington outscored Brooklyn 31-19 in the fourth quarter.

“He hit the biggest one I think of the game to put us up five at a point when they were making a run," Wall said of Eddie. "Me and (center Marcin) Gortat were on the bench and he hit a big shot and gave us a little momentum and boost."

Wall continued his torrid December pace with 22 points and 13 assists. Wall, who came into the game averaging 22.8 points and 11.7 assists during the month, posted his fifth consecutive double-double and 15th of the season.

"It means my hard work and dedication is paying off, but also I have a great group of guys that no matter what number is called, guys are stepping up," Wall said. "I'm not the only one playing well. The most important thing is that we're back to playing Washington Wizards defense. That's why we're giving ourselves a chance."

Wizards coach Randy Wittman said it's more than the statistics Wall is putting up that has made the difference.

"He's just playing at a fabulous clip right now," Wittman said. "His leadership on the floor, in the huddles, in the locker room, orchestrating things on the floor, that's a thing of beauty."

Gortat had a game-high 25 points and seven rebounds, forward Kelly Oubre finished with 12 points and six rebounds and forward Kris Humphries added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Wizards, who held their opponent below 100 points for a third straight win.

"In the beginning of the year, we tried to find our identity and tried to outscore people. That's not our team," Wall said. "Our team is to defend and get fast-break points and make open shots. When you find your identity, it kind of helps everything out."

Center Brook Lopez had 19 points and 11 rebounds, forward Thaddeus Young contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season, guard Jarrett Jack had 15 points and 11 assists and guard Bojan Bogdanovic scored 14 points for the Nets (8-22), who dropped their sixth straight at home and lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.

"I mean, it's tough," Nets guard Joe Johnson said. "We've had games, we've had stretches where we played well, but just haven't been able to finish games. We haven't had a lot of games like this, so it was very disappointing."

Johnson said Nets coach Lionel Hollins lit into the team in the locker room after and the nine fourth-quarter turnovers had something to do with it.

"Holding the ball with one hand, making automatic passes without seeing where the defense is to everybody playing back on their heels," Hollins said. "Then (Washington) got really aggressive."

NOTES: Wizards F Otto Porter returned after missing the last three games with a bruised left thigh. ... G Gary Neal missed his second consecutive game with a sore lower back. Also out for the Wizards were F/G Alan Anderson (left ankle surgery), G Bradley Beal (stress fracture, lower right fibula), F Drew Gooden (strained right calf) and F Nene (strained left calf). ... The Nets were without G/F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (fractured right ankle) and F Chris McCullough (right knee rehab). ... The Nets head to the road for three straight games, beginning Monday against the Heat. The Wizards head back to Washington to play their penultimate game of 2015, hosting the Clippers on Monday.
Top Game Performances
 
Washington   Brooklyn
Marcin Gortat 25 Scoring Brook Lopez 19
John Wall 13 Assists Jarrett Jack 11
Kris Humphries 8 Rebounds Thaddeus Young 14
Marcin Gortat 5 Free Throws Made Joe Johnson 2
Otto Porter 2 Steals Thaddeus Young 4
John Wall 2 Blocks Brook Lopez 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Washington 111 50.0 12-27 15-22 32 39 5 10 13
Brooklyn 96 48.3 5-17 5-16 24 50 5 8 20
Upcoming Games
  • Brooklyn will play their next game on the road against Miami. The Nets have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .273 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game at home against L.A. Clippers. The Wizards have a W/L % of .462 after a win and .533 after a loss.