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October 13, 2026 at 4:46 PM UTC

Postgame Report

Nets Hand Wizards Their First Preseason Loss, 131-122

Brooklyn pulled away from Washington in a meeting of two unbeaten preseason teams, with AJ Dybantsa's third NBA look the main attraction.

Nets at Wizards preseason game preview: How to watch, injuries — Yahoo Sports
Nets at Wizards preseason game preview: How to watch, injuries — Yahoo Sports

Brooklyn beat Washington 131-122 on Monday night, and the Wizards' first look at a real preseason loss came with the attention mostly on one rookie. AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick and the payoff for the lottery win, was in his third game against NBA competition. The book on him so far has been good in transition and good on defense, with a jumper that hasn't yet caught up. Nine points separated the teams at the end, which is a result, but not much of a verdict on a player this new.

The game tipped at 7 p.m. ET in Washington and went out on Monumental Sports Network, a modest setting for the biggest name the Wizards have added in years. Brooklyn left at 3-0 and Washington dropped to 2-1.

Both teams came in at 2-0, though Washington's wins had been narrow ones. Neither side hides what it is. Both rebuilt after tanking, and between them they have spent 15 first-round picks over the last four drafts. Nights like this one are mostly about seeing which of those picks can hold up against someone else's.

Washington also has some veteran help around its young players. Anthony Davis and Bub Carrington both appeared in the Wizards' Oct. 10 game against Detroit, so the roster is not made up of rookies alone. How the pieces fit is the longer story of this preseason, and one loss in October does not settle it.

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