Pop quiz, hotshot. Your team is up three in the waning seconds and your opponent is inbounding the ball. Do you just play defense and hope for a stop? Or do you foul before the other team can shoot a three, putting them on the line so they can’t tie the game in one possession? Last night at the MCI Center, Wizards coach Eddie Jordan chose the former and his team paid for it. The Wiz, down as much as 16 in the first half, had battled back to take a late three point lead only to give Vince Carter a decent look at a long three as time in regulation expired. Carter’s shot hit the back iron like a loaf of bread, sitting on the rim seemingly forever before falling in. It was all downhill for the Wiz from there on in. The Nets scored 18 points in the five minute overtime, one more than they scored in the entire third period, and cruised to a 105-93 win.

There weren’t many bright spots for the Wiz. They fell behind 17-2 in the first quarter and spent the night playing catch up. Poor shot selection and too many shots early in possession led to the team shooting 35% for the game. Agent Zero was 6-23 from the field, Antawn Jamison 3-16 and Caron Butler 7-17. Washington was even worse from behind the three point arc, collectively missing 20 of their 27 attempts.

Photo from vincecarter15.com.