The Brooklyn Nets continue to slip-slide down the Eastern Conference standings after getting blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, putting their home record at 11-11 on the season.
On Saturday night they get what should be another “winnable” matchup, this time against the New Orleans Pelicans, but with the way the Nets are playing these days it feels like we could be in for a long night.
No Nicolas Claxton for the Nets, but they will have James Harden and Kevin Durant in the lineup which gives them a leg up on the Pelicans.
WHO: Brooklyn Nets (26-15) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (16-26)
WHEN: 7:30 PM EST
WHERE: YES (tv), WFAN-FM/AM (radio)
The Pelicans have been a bit loose when it comes to taking care of the ball, but the Nets are in the bottom third of forcing turnovers so that weakness may not be as fatal tonight as it normally would.
Patty Mills got his first rest day of the season on Thursday, and now that he’s back, should help space things out for Brooklyn. When we last saw him, he knocked down open shot after open shot as he torched the Bulls for 21 points (with six three pointers) off the bench in 21 minutes. He’s starting so the calculus will be different, but if he finds himself open like he was on Wednesday, watch out.
Herbert Jones has gotten lots of love, and it’s easy to see why. The rookie has earned rave reviews for his defense and has been a good boost to the team.
After the game on Thursday, James Harden mentioned the team got back in the NYC area at 5 AM and he got to bed at 7:30 AM. That makes for a practically impossible task to try and win a game on such a busted sleep schedule, but that’s the life when everything is in flux thanks to COVID. With a normal sleep pattern, Harden will look to put a great game together. He scored 39 points and made six threes the first time these clubs faced off, including a catch-and-shoot dagger in the final seconds. When his shot is there and he’s combining it by constantly driving to the basket and wreaking havoc, it gives the home Nets another gear they can reach. With Mills back, he’ll have an ace three point shooter to feed whenever defenses pay him too much attention.
For more on the Pelicans, check out The Bird Writes.
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