Nets keep Lopez out for year, blow out Wizards

Nets keep Lopez out for year, blow out Wizards

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

Deron Williams (8) comes out with rebound in the absence of Brook Lopez, as Nets fight for playoffs with nine games left.

Nets center Brook Lopez will miss the rest of the season, general manager Billy King announced before Friday nights game.

Basically Br ook will not play for the rest of this year, King said. He is healing nicely but with 10 games to go and him being a fr ee agent and looking for the future well sit him down for the rest of this year."

After beating the Wizards 110-98 Friday night at the Prudential Center , the Nets (20-37) have just nine games remaining, barring an unlikely berth into the playoffs. Their tragic number remained at two, meaning two losses or two Knicks wins would eliminate them from the playoffs.

Lopez has played in just five games this season after fracturing his right foot in the preseason and spraining the right ankle five games into his comeback. A complication from the fracture has kept him out since March 4.

The news was not surprising, especially considering the teams injury history this season. The Nets have had players miss a total of 205 games due to injuries and illness this season.

That made the decision easier to shelve him easier.

At this point in time we are really not really in the cusp of making the playoffs and its the same with Jordan (Farmar), King sa id. Its looking out for whats best for the players and their interests."

Mentioned as a the cornerstone in any possible trade package with the Magic for All Star center Dwight Howard, much of the Nets season was built on waiting for Lopez to return.

The fourth-year center missed the first 32 games after surgery on the fracture. He averaged 19.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in five game back before he sprained his right ankle March 4. A CT scan revealed a line, in his foot that had not completely healed after surgery.

Lopez, who becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season, was not available for comment.

Deron Williams, back after missing a game with a stomach virus, led the Nets with 19 points and 13 assists and Gerald Wallace also had 19 points as the Nets won back-to-back home games for the first time this season. John Wall had 18 for the Wizards (12-44)