In the Nets loss, Shane Larkin scores a career-high 20 points; Bogdanovic also scores 20

It’s Monday at the Barclays Center, the next to the last game of the 2015-16 NBA regular season for the Brooklyn Nets and the second game after Nets interim head coach Tony Brown announced that Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young would rest for the remainder of the season. The move gives management an opportunity to evaluate some of the younger and less-experienced players, but it doesn’t help the Nets overall record. And, quite frankly, I’m not sure about the results because it’s not like the young players are playing against a full complement from the opposing team. As predicted, the Nets lost to the Washington Wizards 120-111.

The final score doesn’t tell the full story for the Nets, as the first quarter was brutal for the home team; the Washington Wizards scored 20 unanswered points. Finally, Brooklyn snapped its 0-for-8 start with Chris McCullough’s 3-pointer with 7.5 minutes left in the quarter. Marcin Gortat had Washington’s first miss on the next trip, and the Nets got their nerves or confidence back and cut the Wizards lead to 34-28 at the end of the first stanza.

“You relax, I think,” said Randy Wittman, Washington Wizards head coach. “I hate it, I hate those leads. I mean I love them, but I hate them, especially at the start of the game. I mean you can look, it happens all the time, 18-2 and all of (a) sudden end of the first quarter it’s a two-point game or something. So I just thought we relaxed a little bit.”

When it was all said and done, there were some bright spots, Shane Larkin scored a career-high 20 points and added seven assists and six rebounds for the Nets. Bojan Bogdanovic, another starter for the Nets also scored 20 points, and McCullough’s 12 points were it for Nets’ starters in double digits. Sean Kilpatrick, who has become a fan favorite, knocked down 17 points and five rebounds off the bench while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 14 points and six rebounds.

In the win, Washington had seven team members in double digits, including four of the five starters. Ramon Sessions had 21 points and 12 assists; Marcus Thornton scored 19 points, Marcin Gortat added 11; and Otto Porter Jr. chipped in 10. Standout reserve players for Washington scoring over 10 points were JJ Hickson with 15 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. with 14 points.

The Nets have lost nine in a row and the team has its first 60-loss season since a franchise-worst 12-70 record in 2009-10.

The next and final game of the season for the Nets is on Wednesday at home against the Toronto Raptors.