The Brooklyn Nets’ suffered a humiliating loss against a team that is hanging on for dear life, standing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 4-12 record. This matchup ended the Nets’ four-game winning streak, and the Washington Wizards got some relief after a terrible run so far. In fact, Nets’ superstar Kyrie Irving knows exactly what they’re doing wrong.

Kyrie Irving curses the team’s poor defense

After their 149-146 loss to the Washington Wizards, the Nets are drawing nothing but criticism, not just for losing but also because they had big leads that they could have easily been maintained against one of the worst teams in the league right now. James Harden‘s absence was felt more than ever as he sat out because of a left thigh contusion.

So far, the Nets might have been brilliant on the offensive end, but their defense is causing their downfall. In a post-game interview, Kyrie Irving stated:

“They scored 48 in the fourth quarter. We won’t get any wins if we’re gonna allow 48 points in any quarter… It’s a tough night if you’re not particularly doing the little things that could create some separation. Down that stretch, we had that game. It should have been ours. So we just look at ourselves in the mirror and see what we can correct as individuals and as a group, especially on the effort. I couldn’t guard a stick today. Those guys were just going right around me. I was getting frustrated a little bit, but they kept attacking and that’s what good teams do and good scorers do.”

The Washington Wizards played it smart

The Nets had an 18-point lead in the first quarter, which they blew. When they gradually got a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter, Washington performed miracles during the dying seconds of the game and got the win. With just seven seconds left, Brooklyn was ahead by 5 points, but Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook‘s three-pointers sealed the deal for them.

How did this happen? Right when the Nets’ head coach decided to rest KD and Kyrie together, the Wizards saw the opportunity to gather themselves and took a one-point lead in the second quarter. There was no turning back after that.

This is an eye-opener for the Brooklyn Nets, who seem to think that having a fire-powered offense is enough. They might have one of the best ‘Big Three’ ever formed; however, they won’t win a championship without fixing their issues on the defensive end.

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