National Basketball Association

Williams' double-double leads Nets over Wizards

Published Apr. 7, 2012 3:04 a.m. ET

foxsports

Deron Williams had 19 points and 13 assists in fighting off the lingering effects of the flu, leading the New Jersey Nets to a 110-98 victory over the fading Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Gerald Wallace added 19 points and reserve Anthony Morrow had 17 as the Nets (20-37) won for the fourth time in six games to keep their microscopic playoff hopes alive with nine games left in the season.

Before the game, the Nets said starting center Brook Lopez would be sidelined for the rest of the season because of injuries to his right foot and ankle. He played in five games.

John Wall had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Wizards (12-44), who have dropped five straight and 10 of 11.

Kris Humphries added eight points and 12 rebounds, and rookie Jordan Williams scored 14 points.

Kevin Seraphin had 15 points and nine rebounds for Washington, whose futility showed when Chris Singleton missed a breakaway dunk early in the second half.

The Nets never trailed. They built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and only allowed Washington to get as close as seven - and that was in the second quarter.

Trailing 67-48 in the third quarter, Wall made a remarkable reverse dunk on an alley-oop pass in a 13-3 run that cut the Nets' lead to 70-61 with 4:15 left in the period.

Morrow hit a 3-pointer and a jumper early in a 13-5 spurt to end the quarter and the Nets walked into the final quarter with an 83-66 lead that only got larger until the final minutes.

NOTES: Wearing goggles, Nets C Shelden Williams returned to the lineup after missing the last four games with an injury to his right eye. ...The Nets announced on Wednesday that backup PG Jordan Farmar would miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. ...Wizards starting F Trevor Booker and C Nene remain sidelined with plantar fasciitis. New Jersey won the season series, 2-1.