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Lewis helps Wizards beat Nets

Jan 8, 2011 - 5:14 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Rashard Lewis totaled 16 points and season- highs with 13 rebounds and six assists as Washington raced out to an early lead and never looked back in subduing New Jersey, 97-77, at the Version Center.

Nick Young added 16 points, while JaVale McGee supplied 15 points, seven boards and six blocked shots for the Wizards, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Rookie point guard John Wall scored only five points but handed out nine assists with no turnovers for the hosts, who have won seven of the last nine meetings between the two teams.

Jordan Farmar and Brooks Lopez each tallied 14 points for the Nets, who fell for the sixth time in seven games after shooting a paltry 34.6 percent from the field.

"It's a struggle on the road, especially for a young team," Nets head coach Avery Johnson said. "This wasn't one of our best games. The guys should really feel bad about this one."

The Wizards connected on 12-of-20 from the floor in flying out to a 30-13 lead after the first 12 minutes. New Jersey, in sharp contrast, struggled mightily, hitting on just 5-of-22 attempts and getting six shots blocked, including four by McGee.

The Nets went almost four minutes into the contest before their first field goal and another four minutes-plus before a Farmar triple made it a 21-6 game with 3:55 to go in the period.

Washington stretched the lead to as many as 22 during the second quarter and did not allow the visitors to pull closer than 16 in taking a 56-37 lead into the intermission.

New Jersey crept to within 64-52 on a Farmar trifecta with 4:13 left in the third and entered the final quarter trailing 71-57. The Wizards were able to maintain their double digit advantage despite shooting a woeful 3-of-20 from the field in the stanza.

Kirk Hinrich hit back-to-back threes in the first 1 1/2 minutes of the final quarter to push the lead to 20 and dash any sort of comeback hopes the Nets may have possessed. The Wizards' advantage climbed to as many as 25 in the final seven minutes.

"It was nice that we came out and shared the ball...Rashard had a great game. He did a lot of good things for us," Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said.

Game Notes

The 13 points were the fewest the Wizards have allowed in the first quarter this year and their 17-point bulge was their largest after the opening period. The 37 points were also the fewest they've given up in a half this season. McGee hit 7-of-9 shots but did commit five turnovers...The Wizards cashed in 18 New Jersey turnovers into 17 points while allowing only four points on the nine turnovers they committed...Young added five assists...Hinrich ended with 10 points...Washington forward Josh Howard missed the game with a sore left knee...Derrick Favors, taken two slots after Wall in the 2010 NBA Draft, was the only other New Jersey player to reach double figures with 12 points...New Jersey did not attempt a foul shot in the third quarter...Nets point guard Devin Harris departed in the third quarter with a right quad contusion and did not return.