Brooklyn Nets end season with game vs. Detroit Pistons

Five and a half months after having their home opener at Barclays Center washed out by Hurricane Sandy, the Nets will end their regular season with a chance to win 49 games and tie three other Nets teams for the second best regular season record in franchise history.

The Nets won 49 games in 1982-83, 2002-03 and 2005-06. Only the 2001-02 Finals team won more, garnering 52 victories. A Nets win over the Pistons would also give them their first sweep over the Pistons ever and their first winning season record over Detroit since 1994-95.

P.J. Carlesimo is likely to give him starters some time on court Wednesday but as the game wears on, rely more on the reserves who beat the Wizards by six Monday night.

With Andre Drummond healthy, the Pistons won't be a pushover. They've won four straight and five of their last seven. In his last five games, Drummond has averaged nearly a double double at 12.2 and 9.6, but nearly five personals. His frontcourt mate, Greg Monroe, is averaging 17.8 and 8.6 over the same stretch. Jose Calderon is unlikely to play.

The big question for the Pistons is whether Lawrence Frank and Piston legend Joe Dumars will be back. Owner Tom Gores has said that after a 29-52 record so far, he is not pleased and both are being evaluated. Frank is joined on the Pistons bench by three other former Nets coaches: Brian Hill, John Loyer and Roy Rogers, all of whom would likely lose their jobs as well if Frank is dumped.

Meanwhile, expect a lot of over the shoulder scoreboard watching by the Nets who still don't know who they'll play in the team's first playoffs in five years. The Hawks loss to the Raptors Tuesday night puts them into a tie with the Bulls. If the Bulls can beat the Wizards Wednesday, they will face the Nets as fifth seed no matter what the Hawks do vs. the Knicks. The only way for the Hawks to get in is for the Bulls to lose and them to beat the Knicks.

Joe Johnson, for one, is optimistic ... very optimistic ... about the Nets chances.

"Billy [King] had faith in all of us to put us all together to make a pretty good [team] and try to bring Brooklyn a championship ring, so that’s our main goal right now,” Johnson told ESPN.

• Brooklyn Nets Game Nets - Brooklyn Nets
• Detroit Pistons Game Notes - Detroit Pistons
• Brooklyn Nets tickets - TiqIQ
• Pistons at Nets - April 17, 2013 - Taylor Bechtold - STATS
• Nets’ First Season in Brooklyn Is Promising - Howard Beck - New York Times
• Nets' Joe Johnson could be facing former team in first round of playoffs - Rod Boone - Newsday
  
• P.J. waits for Nets’ playoff foe - Howie Kussoy - New York Post
• Johnson talks Heat, Hawks and health - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
• Bulls have 5-seed in their sights - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
• Insider: D-Will wins 'HabersTrophy' - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
• Playoff Scenarios: Who Can End Up Where - NBA.com
  
• Why Can’t Brook Lopez Rebound? He Boxes Out Too Much - Dylan Murphy - Hoopchalk
  
• P.J. Carlesimo's wide-ranging interview on WFAN: Playoffs, D-Will, his coaching future, and more - William Rausch - The Brooklyn Game