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How we feeling, Nets fans? After clinching a playoff berth this weeks, the Nets are on cruise-ish control, so these play-in games get a little less stressful. Just a little less.
On Sunday night, the Nets will take on a Clippers team that played, and won, Saturday night against the Trail Blazers.
The Clips will have Kawhi Leonard back in the lineup - he sat Saturday night, first of a back-to-back, for rest purposes.
WHO: Brooklyn Nets (33-36) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (47-22)
WHEN: 9:00 PM EST
WHERE: YES (local), NBA TV (national), WFAN (radio)
For more on the Clippers, check out: Clips Nation
Player to watch: Kawhi Leonard
Who’s the man with the master plan? In his first season in LA, Leonard has been as good as advertised and has a chance to pull off something nobody has ever done in NBA history: win Finals MVP on three different teams. With Brooklyn’s key players likely sitting, we probably won’t see Leonard for too long. The playoffs start next week and at that point, they’ll play Leonard big minutes. You nurse someone through the year so they can be ready to rock come winning time.
Garrett Temple will have a busy night. When the Nets begin the playoffs, he’s gonna be counted on to hit open looks and play quality defense. Matching up with Leonard will be a great tuneup for him as Brooklyn fine tunes things in the last week of the regular season.