The Nets eventually built a 58-41 lead in the third quarter, but they almost gave it away.
The Wizards (27-26) never got closer than 7 points after the Nets built their 16-point lead.
However they have done it over the past week, the Nets have built the beginning of a push toward a playoff spot.
Carter scored 16 by halftime, and the Nets built a 45-37 lead.
The Nets have built a core of young, talented players with their first-round draft picks in the last four years.
Jefferson scored 6 points in the final eight minutes of the first quarter as the Nets built a 25-24 lead.
The Nets built an 11-point lead at halftime only to see it disappear in the fourth quarter.
The Nets built a 26-point lead in the third quarter before their collapse blew Game 3.
He almost single-handedly led a 14-4 run early in the second half that helped the Nets build a 10-point lead.
Whatever momentum the Nets had built by winning their first two games evaporated tonight.