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Nets go for season sweep against Hawks

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By Brian Fleurantin
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Dallas Mavericks v Atlanta Hawks Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

You know how it goes. The Brooklyn Nets fell behind by a ton, stormed back to have a chance to win late, but ultimately fell short. This time, the opponent was the Washington Wizards and they beat the Nets by four on Wednesday night in DC.

The opponent tonight will be the Atlanta Hawks. It's been another long year in the ATL and as we head towards the dog days of March, it's gonna feel even longer. They got their four game homestand off to a bad start with a loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM on radio. Tip after 7 PM.

Injuries

No KD and Kyrie. WIlson Chandler will be available after missing the Wizards game for personal reasons.

DeAndre Bembry, Dewayne Dedmon, and the new guy, Clint Capela, are out. Trae Young is questionable with an illness. Damion Jones is questionable while Kevin Huerter is probable.

The game

Brooklyn took the first game in early December, second one in mid December, and third meeting in January.

This is the first night of a back-to-back for the Nets. They're in Miami to face the Heat Saturday night. It will also be their third game in four days. Ouch.

Assuming health isn't an issue, we're due for a fun time at point guard. Trae Young's fantastic season was rewarded with his first All Star Game appearance last weekend. As Atlanta's only real scoring threat, it's no surprise he's fourth in the league in usage rate. Conversely, it's no surprise he leads the league in turnovers seeing as how he's Atlanta's only real scoring threat. It's tough beating teams as a one man gang.

Spencer Dinwiddie will be the man with the plan late for Brooklyn. It wouldn't hurt to have another crunch time scoring option if you're Brooklyn, but Dinwiddie has delivered more times than not for Brooklyn. He and Caris Levert will run things for Brooklyn and with a tough road game awaiting them tomorrow, they're going to need to take full advantage tonight.

Prepare to see a lot of turnovers tonight. Both clubs are at the bottom of the league in taking care of the ball and their struggles have cost them plenty of winnable games.

The Hawks are also last in three point percentage, so if they're careless with the ball and cold from deep, the Nets have a chance to pull away early.

This is officially the last game Vince Carter will play against the Nets. Love you, VC!

Player to watch: John Collins

One big reason for the Hawks' struggles was the absence of Collins. He was suspended for 25 games in early November due to testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Since he's been back, he's played pretty well and has grown into a credible option from deep. That's important to note because the Hawks plan to keep him at power forward and boost the center position.

This one's a homecoming for Taurean Prince. He had a good run with the Hawks and will tangle with Collins tonight. He'll have his hands full on the boards tonight as Collins is one of the better rebounders in the league. The same can't be said for the other Hawks though.

From the Vault

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington DC. It was a memorable, breathtaking experience that I'll never forget. Everyone (well, almost everyone) who has gone has discussed how it affected them, so let's hear from John Lewis. If you're in DC soon, make it a point to go. You'll love it.

More reading: Peachtree Hoops

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