No. The Brooklyn Nets went into Detroit on Wednesday night hoping to snap their three game losing streak. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t overcome Blake Griffin and the Pistons as they beat the Nets by nine points. It was their fourth straight loss. Two more games to go before the break.
The opponent this evening will be the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans still have a good chance to make the playoffs, but it's going to be a tough road getting there. They're on the second leg of a back to back after getting washed by the Philadelphia 76ers last night. It was their third straight loss.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM on radio. Tip off after 6 PM.
Injuries
Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are out while Quincy Acy is probable. It’s uncertain if new guy Dante Cunningham will be ready to face his old teammates. The Nets did recall Isaiah Whitehead from Long Island so he will be available
Demarcus Cousins is recovering after tearing his Achilles last month. All the best to Boogie.
The game
The Pelicans won the first game last month.
The Nets had a fairly quiet trade deadline. The only move they made was to thrade the recently acquired Rashad Vaughn to the Pels for Dante Cunningham. Brooklyn has been short at the power forward position (thanks to injuries) for a while now so Cunningham should get a fair amount of run here in Brooklyn. To the bigger point, the lack of moves speak to something else. As my man Pooch notes:
Spencer Dinwiddie is someone to watch closely. Before they traded most of the entire state of Ohio, the Cleveland Cavaliers, called about Dinwiddie, but Brooklyn turned them down. It's good that they kept him because he fits well with what the team hopes to accomplish going forward. It also helps that he's had a hell of a season running the point for the Nets. He'll spend a lot of time guarding Jrue Holiday. Holiday will have to take on a bigger scoring load with Cousins out of action. Jrue has averaged 16 points and six assists since the Cousins injury, but has only shot 24 percent from deep during that time period.
Maybe that scoring explosion Wednesday will spark Allen Crabbe? Crabbe scored a career-high 34 points and tied a season high in 3-pointers made with six vs. Detroit. If Crabbe can give the Nets half of that on a nightly basis, it will open the offense back up and make them credible threats from three point range.
Player to watch: Anthony Davis
It's kind of amazing that Davis is still only 24 years old. It feels as if he's been around a lot longer than the already six years he's put in with the (then) Hornets and Pelicans. He's been his usual excellent self and has added the three pointer to his repertoire. It feels as if Brow has become a forgotten man of sorts thanks to players like Joel Embiid, but he's still the best big man in basketball and will be a force come playoff time.
You learn by doing, and Jarrett Allen will have to do his best to slow AD down. Allen has excelled in his starting role and handed out a career high six assists on Wednesday. If Allen has trouble, look for Acy and the newly acquired Cunningham to see some time guarding Davis.
From the Vault
We’re gearing up for All Star Weekend, so let’s take it back to Michael Jordan’s final All Star Game.
More reading: The Bird Writes
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes - Brooklyn Nets
- New Orleans Pelicans Game Notes - New Orleans Pelicans
- Pelicans still adjusting to life without Cousins - STATS/TSX
- Nets making D’Angelo Russell work to get back where he wants - Brian Lewis - New York Post
- Nets prove how much they value Spencer Dinwiddie - Brian Lewis - New York Post
- D’Angelo Russell still getting up to speed - Greg Logan - Newsday
- No DeMarcus Cousins? No chance as 76ers crush Pelicans: Final stats - William Guillory - New Orleans Times Picayune