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Nets and Bucks meet for the first of two

By Brian Fleurantin
Charlotte Hornets v Milwaukee Bucks Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

That was quite the game, huh? The Nets got down by 18 points and appeared to be on their way to their eighth straight loss. But in the blink of an eye (or in my case, a quick food run), the Nets stormed all the way back and eventually came away with a 127-122 win over the Clippers in double overtime.

Coming into town will be the Milwaukee Bucks. Although I think folks were expecting them to be a bit better, being at .500 after one month isn’t too bad. They’ve won their last two games, including a thorough demolition of the Cavs on Tuesday night. After they play the Nets again on Saturday, business will start to pick up.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV with WCBS 880 AM on the radio. Tip off after 7:30.

Injuries

Jeremy Lin is still out. Rondae Hollis Jefferson dressed, but didn't play on Tuesday and is questionable for tonight.

Khris Middleton is still on the road to recovery following surgery on his left hamstring.

The game

Milwaukee won the first meeting.

Brook Lopez didn’t play in the first Bucks game, but he’ll be on the court tonight. As games go on, Lopez has gradually disappeared from the offense as teams adjust to him and his teammates don’t get him the ball. The next two games should help solve those problems. Milwaukee’s center rotation has been a tire fire and doesn’t appear to be getting better any time soon.

Trevor Booker and Jabari Parker should be a nice matchup. This is Parker's second full season (remember, his rookie season was shortened thanks to an injury) and he's been expanding his range. He's shooting a respectable 36.7 percent from deep and that's enough for defenses to respect him out there. Milwaukee likes to go small and thanks to that, they're going to need Parker to become a better rebounder. Booker has been a ball of energy and a steady source of production for Kenny Atkinson. He might be the only player on the roster who doesn't shoot threes, but he does everything else the team needs.

Player to watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Of all the great young players that are on the verge of superstardom, Giannis might be the most intriguing one of them all. His field goal percentage has increased each year he's been in the league and he's currently shooting 52.7 percent from the field. The three pointers aren't there, but he can make deep twos and that does have value.

Shooting isn't the only thing to focus on with Giannis. He's a good rebounder, flexible defender, and an improving passer. Jason Kidd has given Giannis more responsibilty, and it's been a rousing suceess.

Sean Kilpatrick has been one of the Nets most important players this year. Kilpatrick was miscast (out of necessity, but still) as a point guard, but he's done well as a scorer coming off the bench. He scored a career high 38 points on Tuesday and was the Nets source of scoring throughout overtime. With Lin out, Kilpatrick will have to be a key scorer for Brooklyn as well as start to become a better passer.

From The Vault

Isaiah Austin has been cleared to play basketball, and I think I speak for everyone in saying that I hope he does really well in the NBA.

More reading: Brew Hoop

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