clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Nets look to win season series vs Knicks

By Brian Fleurantin

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Phoenix Suns v New York Knicks Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

It's a vibe. It took a while and five extra minutes, but the Brooklyn Nets finally got back in the win column on Saturday night after beating the Detroit Pistons in overtime.

The opponent tonight will be the New York Knicks. The Knicks are still trying to figure things out and as they speed toward the trade deadline, they'll have to figure out what to do with their roster. They lost on Friday to the Toronto Raptors.

Where to follow the game

Double coverage tonight. YES Network and MSG on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM and ESPN 98.7 FM on radio. Tip off after 6 PM.

Injuries

DeAndre Jordan has been out due to a dislocated finger. We'll see if he's back tonight.

RJ Barrett is out due to an ankle injury.

The game

Brooklyn took game one and two while New York got game three.

This is night two of a back-to-back and third game in four days for the Nets. That's gotta be rough.

I think everyone who follows the NBA knew the Knicks wouldn't make the playoffs this year, but apparently Knicks management were expecting something else. Lol.

Marcus Morris is probably someone teams will be inquiring about as we head to the deadline. He's been the team's leading scorer in three out of the last four games and his size plus versatility would assist a playoff contender down the stretch. And the Knicks have about ten million power forwards so they can afford to be without one of them.

The Nets switched things up last night. Spencer Dinwiddie went back to the bench and Garrett Temple took his place in the starting lineup. Kenny Atkinson made sure to note who finishes the game matters most, so we'll see how things shake out tonight.

And after his monster game Saturday, Kyrie Irving will make his first visit to the Garden after he decided Brooklyn was the better borough. The Jersey guy talked about how, as a young Nets fan, he would anticipate games between the cross-river rivals.

Irving (along with Jarrett Allen) played 40 minutes vs. the Pistons so look for Kenny Atkinson and the performance team to watch playing time. Atkinson did hold both Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Rodions Kurucs out in Detroit and if Jordan plays, that would give him three fresh rotation players.

WIlson Chandler (31) also had a season-high in minutes.

Player to watch: Elfrid Payton

It doesn't feel as if Payton has been in the league six years, but he is and is only 25 years old. That said, they might be better served giving more playing time to Frank Ntilikina. Ntilikina has only crossed the 20 minute twice in the last ten games he's appeared in. At a certain point, the Knicks have to figure out what they're going to do at the point guard position.

When Kyrie Irving catches fire like that, give him the ball and get the hell out the way. Irving put the team on his back in the third quarter last night and woke them up after a piss poor first half. Brooklyn's attack went to hell in the fourth (one familiar theme throughout the year) when he sat down, so the second unit will need to keep things running smoothly.

From the Vault

I didn't realize this until reading this great article from Slate's Jack Hamilton, but D'Angelo's Voodoo turned 20 yesterday. It was one of those long lasting, influential albums that really defined his career (and life, in some very unfortunate ways). Let's rock out for a bit.

More reading: Posting and Toasting

More From NetsDaily