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Nets and Hawks play a Sunday matinee

By Brian Fleurantin
NBA: Preseason-Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Well alright now! The Brooklyn Nets came home on Friday to begin the home portion of their schedule and put on a good show with a five point victory over the Orlando Magic. They hit the road after this to start a back-to-back that will take them to Orlando and back home for Cleveland. If the Nets win and go to 2-1, it will be the first time they’ve a winning record since November 14, 2014 when they were 4-3.

The opponent this afternoon will be the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta has made the playoffs every season since 2008, but that streak appears to be in serious jeopardy following the departures of Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. They lost in Charlotte to the Hornets on Friday night. They've got two more games to go before they finally play a home game in the ATL.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WCBS 880 AM on radio. Tip off at 3:30 (!!!).

Injuries

Jeremy Lin underwent surgery to repair his right patellar tendon.

DeAndre Bembry has a fractured right wrist and will be out indefinitely. Miles Plumlee is dealing with an injured right quad and will be out.

The game

As it so happens, Hawks players dislike Dwight Howard as much as you do. When the big guy was traded to the Hornets, players reportedly screamed in jubilation at his departure. Hating Dwight Howard might be the thing that can bring America together.

Myles Turner had a showcase game on Wednesday and Nikola Vucevic scored a career high 41 points on Friday. The Hawks don’t have a big man that are as good as Turner or Vucevic, so life should be a bit easier for the Nets big men today. Brooklyn still has major issues defending the pick and roll, but they hope that with more experience playing together, they can clean it up.

We should be seeing more of Jarrett Allen this afternoon. The rookie made his NBA debut on Friday and was fantastic. He scored nine points and made some spectacular dunks that energized the Barclays crowd. He looked good next to D’Angelo Russell, and I have a feeling he’ll get more playing time with DLo throughout the year.

The turnovers were unsightly (eight in total), but Russell put together a good game on Friday. He scored 17 points and made some big plays late that sealed the win for Brooklyn. You can live with the turnovers if Russell continues to push the tempo and keep defenses on their heels

Allen Crabbe got the start at shooting guard on Friday and figures to do so again today. Crabbe didn’t shoot well from the field, but that’s bound to happen on occasion. As long as Brooklyn continues to get good open looks from deep, Crabbe will excel.

Player to watch: Dennis Schroder

Schroder is the best player left on the Hawks, and in that role, defenses will pay closer attention to him. He’s most effective when he’s driving to the rim and finding open shooters on the perimeter.

No coaching staff knows Schroder better than the Nets. Kenny Atkinson and Jordan Ott, a Nets assistant, were assistants with the Hawks two years ago and another Nets assistant, Chris Fleming, has been his national team coach in Germany.

In fact, Hoopshype suggested this week the Nets might be smart to trade for Schroder.

Problem is Schroder has a rep. He was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge last month for shoving a man outside an Atlanta-area bar — a move that sparked a group fight that was all caught on camera.

From the Vault

The Yankees had a great run this postseason, but fell short in Game 7 last night in Houston. This trip to the Vault will highlight a happier ALCS moment for the Bronx Bombers

More reading: Peachtree Hoops

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