The Nets enjoyed a laugh carnival on a night when their mistakes meant little and offered the best entertainment during a 101-91 waltz over the out-of-sync Washington Wizards at Continental Arena.

The Nets had a 20-point lead midway through the third quarter tonight when Stephon Marbury took off along the left baseline for a thunderous one-handed slam. But before the ball went completely through the net, it bounced off Marbury's glistening bald head and out of the hoop.

The basket did not count, and Marbury was called for offensive interference. ''I've seen Michael Jordan do it but they counted it,'' he said. ''I guess that's the new rule.''

Why not smile? ''It's not like that every night, so you've got to enjoy it,'' Marbury said after the Nets rebounded from a dismal loss to the Miami Heat a night before.