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Nets play Cavaliers in a matinee game

By Brian Fleurantin
NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Cleveland Cavaliers David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The remix was just as bad as the original version. On Friday, the Brooklyn Nets built up a 13 point lead near the end of the third quarter against the Raptors as they hoped to make up for blowing a 23 point lead in the previous game against Charlotte. Unfortunately for them, they gave up the lead and eventually the game as the Raps completed the season sweep with a four point victory. Times are hard on the boulevard.

The opponent this afternoon will be the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs look like a brand new team as of late. They’re currently riding a game winning streak after they beat the hell out of the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. They've won five out of their last six games.

Where to follow the game

YES Network and NBA TV on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM on radio. Day time affair so we’ll get the party started after 1 PM.

Injuries

Nothing new for Brooklyn. With the G-League season over, expect Isaiah Whitehead to return from Long Island soon.

Tyronn Lue took a leave of absence to tend to his health. He hopes to be back soon. Kyle Korver is away from the team after the death of his younger brother, . Condolences to the Korver family.

The game

Brooklyn won the first meeting in October, Cleveland took the second one in November and third one in February.

Even with all of the issues surrounding the team this year, the Cavs still have a great chance to win the NBA Championship, thanks entirely to one man. LeBron James has been on an incredible roll as of late and as long as he's around, his team will always be dangerous. Since the All Star break, Bron has averaged around 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists a night while shooting close to 56 percent from the field. More importantly, he's cut down on his turnovers as well. You give him extra possessions and he's going to make life even more difficult for opponents. DeMarre Carroll will get him first, but it's gonna take everybody to slow him down.

We usually think of the Cavs as a great rebounding team, but injuries and the lineups they had to play have pushed them into the bottom of the league rankings. Having Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson back will help immensely on that front.

Speaking of Love, he presents so many problems. He's a great post scorer, a terrific passer, a beast on the boards, and is someone that can go shot for shot with just about everyone in the league from three point range. Rondae Hollis Jefferson has been terrific for the Nets as of late, and will need to have his best game of the year to hang with Love.

The threes will be flying today. Both teams are top five in threes attempted per game, but the Cavs are seventh in efficiency while the Nets are 26th. Allen Crabbe will need to put on a show from deep to keep the Nets close. He just set the Nets record for threes made in a season, so I'm hoping the team honors him for that today.

Player to watch: Larry Nance, Jr.

As one of the new Cavs, Nance will play an integral role in the Cavs postseason success. He's rangy, quick on his feet, an explosive finisher at the rim (ask Brook Lopez about that) and is a credible threat from the mid range area. I wouksn't be surprised if he takes most of Thompson's minutes if the Cavs make it to the Finals and face a team like the Rockets or Warriors.

Jarrett Allen's main job today is to not get put on a poster. Sure he has other things to focus on like rim protection and navigating the pick and roll on both sides of the ball, but seriously: don't get put on a poster.

From the Vault

Michigan is hoping to make it to the National Championship for the first time since 2013. Let's take a trip back to their last Final Four appearance when two of the current Nets, Caris LeVert and Nik Stauskas were on the team.

And if, as expected, Duke and Villanova complete the Final Four today, the Nets will be the only team with representatives of each of the four schools: Milton Doyle of Loyola Chicago; LeVert and Stauskas of Michigan; Jahlil Okafor of Duke and Dante Cunningham of Villanova.

More reading: Fear the Sword

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