Live Game Thread: Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 PM EST

Now’s not the time to panic. The Brooklyn Nets sit one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers but they still remain hobbled and haven’t been at full strength since - like, almost forever.

Friday night they take on a Hornets team that will be done a few of their key players - Gordon Hayward, for one - and even as they’re on a 3-game losing streak they are in the playoff hunt, sitting at 8th in the East, so each game moving forward has pretty major playoff implications for them.

We’ll be live on Clubhouse after the game, as always:

Come join us!

WHO: Brooklyn Nets (37-18) vs. Charlotte Hornets (27-27)

WHEN: 7:30 PM EST

WHERE: YES2 (tv), WFAN (radio)

Game Preview.

Stay ready. DeAndre Jordan was out of the rotation, but came back this week and looked pretty solid all things considered. Sure Joel Embiid poured in 39 points, but DJ played tough and pulled down 14 rebounds. The Nets rotation of bigs will be DJ, Nicolas Claxton, and Blake Griffin. Each brings something unique to the table and as Steve Nash sharpens the rotations and gets the guys ready for the playoffs, we’ll see who stands out the most.

Speaking of stay ready, shouts to the Nets bench. They made the team proud by almost pulling off a massive comeback on Wednesday night and as the stars look to regain their rhythm, having guys like Alize Johnson, Bruce Brown, etc on the squad will always give the Nets a sense of toughness and fire that will help to push them across the finish line.

When you need a day, take a day. Kyrie Irving sat out the Timberwolves game and came back Wednesday ready to rock and roll. He put up a dazzling 37 points and did damage against Ben Simmons and Mattisse Thybulle, two of the best defenders in the league. Irving is able to pressure defenders and make life impossible for whoever’s guarding him. He helps the Nets play at a fast pace and allows their offense to stay a tier above the rest of the league.

For more on the Hornets, check out At the Hive.