Andray Blatche Decides To Test Free Agency

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 15^th, 2014

One day after the Brooklyn Nets were eliminated their off-season started, and it started with Andray Blatche announcing that as expected he will be opting out of his contract, as he declined his 1.4 million dollar player option for next season.

Blatche said coming back to the Nets is his “Number 1 Priority” when asked if he wants to come back.

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“Yeah, definitely. I feel like we have a strong team here,” he said. “We have a good core. Everybody gets along, Everybody holds one another accountable. I can still learn from some of the players here. But at the same time it’s a business. So if I’m not here I appreciate everything this organization has done for me.”

“I’m going to see what’s out there for me,” Blatche said Thursday. “I would love to stay here. They gave me my first opportunity. So if things work out, hopefully I’ll be back here. If not, I just want to thank the fans and the whole organization for giving me that second chance.”

Andray Blatche made it clear that he would like to be back, and after coming off a nice season the Nets would certainly like him back as well. The Nets do have Blatche's early bird rights, which means the most that they can offer him is a four-year 25 million dollar deal. His former team the Washington Wizards are on the hook for 8.4 million dollars next season, so Blatche will be making a nice paycheck regardless next season.

In the 2013-2014 season Blatche had very good numbers, as in 73 games he averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and shot a very good 47% from the field. Blatche will certainly have suitors, and Nets General Manager Billy King will be a bust man with five other pending free agents in Paul Pierce, Shaun Livingston, Andrei Kirilenko, Alan Anderson, and Jason Collins.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks; April 2nd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will be facing off in a big game Wednesday night, as the Knick are fighting to get into the playoffs and the Nets are looking to move up in the standings. The Knicks are coming off their most successful west coast trip since 1999-2000 and will look to ride that momentum tonight against their cross-town rivals. For the Nets, they played last night and handled the Houston Rockets rather easily. Here are some things to look for tonight in the Battle of the Boroughs.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks are staring at a big problem tonight, as Tim Hardaway Jr. is questionable with an ankle injury. Hardaway Jr. injured the ankle in the waning moments of the Knicks win Monday night over the Utah Jazz. If he is unable to go, Iman Shumpert will be in line for an increase in minutes and big role in the game plan. Amar’e Stoudemire should be back in the lineup for the Knicks tonight after sitting out Monday with a planned day of rest.

For the Nets, they will still be without Kevin Garnett. Garnett is not expected to make a return to the lineup until next week at the earliest. Andrei Kirilenko was not able to play last night for the Nets and his status is up in the air for the game tonight. Same goes for Marcus Thornton, who missed Tuesday’s game with back problems.

-Match-Up Of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

These two have matched up together since Anthony was traded to the Knicks from the Denver Nuggets and will continue to be the match-up to watch tonight as well. The Nets have begun using a smaller lineup with Garnett sidelined, with Pierce filling the role Anthony does with the Knicks in a smaller lineup. No matter what position they lineup at tonight, the two of them should be matched up together a majority of the night.

-Who Replaces Hardaway Jr.?

If Hardaway Jr. is unable to go tonight because of his ankle, the first player in line to take over his minutes will be Shumpert. Shumpert's struggles have been well documented this season, but the Knicks will need to him to look more like he did on the Texas Triangle trip tonight to overcome the Nets. Shumpert had a strong game offensively in the Knicks victory over the Nets this season, scoring 17 points, but struggled mightily in the loss to the Nets scoring only five points.

Where Shumpert will help the Knicks is the defensive end. Shumpert is far and away the better defender compared to Hardaway Jr., and that will be important tonight as the Knicks and Nets are both playing good basketball right now. Whichever team can get the timely stops will be able to come out ahead tonight.

-Front Court Battle

The Knicks will have a huge edge on the interior tonight and they must take advantage of it. Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler have combined to be quite a force on the inside recently for the Knicks, resulting in much better results in the win-loss column. Tonight they have to take advantage of the opportunities that will be given to them in Miles Plumlee and Andray Blatche.

With the Nets going small, the Knicks need to pound in the paint and attack the basket. The Nets do not have any rim protectors and should be able to make a living in the interior. If they are able to do that, it will open up the perimeter for players such as J.R. Smith and Anthony to knock down three pointers. 

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W2W4: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Brooklyn Nets March 30th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 30th, 2014

W2W4: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Brooklyn Nets

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets will be at home on Sunday evening hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the Nets look gain ground on the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division. The Nets are (38-33) on the season, and still trail the Raptors by 2.5 games.

Match-Up of the Game: Kevin Love vs. Paul Pierce

Nets Forward Paul Pierce is going to have his hands full on Sunday night against one of the most dynamic players in the NBA in Kevin Love. Love is having a monster season for the Timberwolves, as the walking double-double is averaging 26.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Pierce is going to have to worry about chasing Love at the three-point line, and then also box him out on the glass. Love isn’t the greatest defender however, so Pierce should be able to succeed on the offensive end of the court.

- Lucky 13

On Sunday the Nets will be looking to be victorious for the 13th straight time at the Barclays Center, as with the home winning streak it has allowed the Nets to have one of the better home records in basketball. The Timberwolves are one game above .500, but on the road they aren’t the same team, as they are just (15-21) this season. A bad road team heading in the Timberwolves heading to the Barclays Center seems like a good recipe for the Nets.

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- Clincher

Brooklyn can lock up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference tonight if they are able to defeat the Timberwolves, and if their rivals the New York Knicks lose to the Golden State Warriors. The Nets will definitely be a playoff team whether they clinch it tonight or not, but with their great play at home they certainly want to either win the Atlantic or hop the Chicago Bulls in the standings.

- Still Out

Once again the Nets will be without Center Kevin Garnett, who will be missing his 16th straight game with back spasms, and Forward Andrei Kirilenko will be out yet again with a sprained ankle, which will be his fourth game missed in a row.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Charlotte Bobcats March 26th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 26th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Pre Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets after two straight overtime games will be heading to Charlotte to play against an Eastern Conference playoff hopeful in the Bobcats. The Nets are just 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, and the Raptors will also be playing on Wednesday against the Celtics.

nba.com

Match-Up of the Game: Al Jefferson vs. Mason Plumlee

In the last two games the Nets have been roughed up on the inside by opposing team’s big men, and on Wednesday they will be going against one of the best Centers the NBA has in Al Jefferson. Jefferson has come on in his first season with the Bobcats, as he is averaging 21.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. After the games that Samuel Dalembert and Anthony Davis put up the last two games, it seems that the Nets will have their hands full yet again against Jefferson, as it will be a tough night for Plumlee. Plumlee has been doing well filling in for Garnett, as in March he is averaging 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, but he is undersized and inexperienced to be asked to stop Jefferson.

- Really Banged Up

On the final game of their three-game road trip the Nets are all of a sudden very banged up with injuries, as yet again Kevin Garnett will be out with back spasms, and yet again Andrei Kirilenko will be out with a sprained ankle. In the loss to the Pelicans, Marcus Thornton was forced to leave the game early with a back injury, and didn’t seem overly optimistic that he would be able to play on Wednesday, but is listed as a game-time decision. On top of all the injuries, Deron Williams is also listed as a game-time decision, as he is battling an illness, which if he can’t go the Nets may find themselves very short-handed.

- Season Series

So far this season the Nets are up (2-1) in the season series against the Bobcats, and Wednesday gives the chance for the Nets to win a season series against a possible Eastern Conference playoff team. The Nets have won both games at home against the Bobcats, but in November were defeated in Charlotte 95-91. In that loss it was a very different looking Nets team, but with all the injuries and the uncertainty of Williams playing, the Nets will be in for a tough game against a hungry Bobcats team.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards March 15th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 15^th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading to Washington to face the Wizards on Saturday night, as the Nets are riding a hot streak after beating the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat this week so far. The Nets are now (34-30) on the season, which is 3.5 games behind the Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Match-Up of the Game: John Wall vs Deron Williams

Easily the most fun match-up to watch in this game will be the Point Guard one, as it will feature two very good ones in John Wall and Deron Williams. Wall is having a great season for the Wizards, as with his great play he was well deserving of his All-Star Game selection this season. In the two Wizards victories over the Nets this season, Wall has averaged a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists per game to go along with five rebounds and 2.5 steals, as he has been great. Williams is coming off a down game against the Heat, but did hit a clutch shot late, so he will look to carry that big moments momentum into a solid game against the Wizards. This season Wall has outplayed Williams by a considerable amount, as Williams is just averaging 14 points and 6.4 assists per game.

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- Defense, Love It!

The main reason for the Nets winning seven of their last eight games has been their great defense, which has held opponents to under 100 points in each of those eight games. While the Nets are playing great defense now, in their two losses to Washington have given up 112.5 points per game. The last game against the Wizards was in December however when the Nets were not playing good basketball and are a completely different team from then.

- Still Banged Up

For what will be the eighth straight game the Nets will be without Center Kevin Garnett, who is still being bothered by back spasms, so yet again it will be Mason Plumlee in the starting lineup. Andrei Kirilenko seems a lot closer to coming back than Garnett, as he is listed as a game-time decision, and practiced in Miami on Friday.

- No Rest

Washington will be playing the second half of a back to back on Saturday night, as on Friday the Wizards played an overtime game against the Magic in Orlando that they won 105-101. Lots of teams struggle on zero days rest, but the Wizards have actually been pretty good with a 8-7 record, as their youth certainly helps them bounce back quickly.  

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat March 12th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 12th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading to Miami for the first time this season to play the two-time defending champions the Heat on Wednesday night. The Nets are one of the two teams in the NBA that have beaten the Heat twice this season along with the Chicago Bulls, but both of those victories came at the Barclays Center.

barclayscenter.com

- Atlantic Watch

After what was a huge win for the Nets on Monday night, beating the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors in a very close game, the Nets will have a tough task of staying within three games of them when Wednesday is all said and done. The Heat are one of the best home teams in basketball, as they own a (25-4) record, and the Nets have struggled on the road all season with a (12-19) record, which is not a good recipe for Brooklyn. If they decide to scoreboard watch a bit in this game they will also see the Raptors playing the Detroit Pistons in what should surely be a home win for Toronto, which could put the Nets back into a four-game deficit with a loss in Miami.

- Stopping the King

LeBron James is once again having a fantastic season for the Heat, as to nobody’s surprise he is right there in the hunt for yet another MVP award. James is averaging 27 points, seven rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, and in the two meetings against Brooklyn, he is averaging 31 points on 57% shooting. Few people can be expected to guard LeBron James one on one, but given the task of slowing him down will most likely be Shaun Livingston to start, and if Andrei Kirilenko can play with his sprained ankle will surely get some time guarding James. The Nets defense has been very good this season, especially lately holding their opponents to under 100 points in their last seven games, but that streak will be put to the test on Wednesday, as Miami is 9th in the NBA averaging 104 points per game.

- Batman’s Sidekicks

When playing the Heat obviously James is the main concern, but teams certainly can’t sleep on their other two All-Stars in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who are both having good years in their own right. Miami has done a good job giving Wade rest, and it has shown in his stats, as in 45 games he is averaging 19.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Bosh is by far the best third option in the NBA, as he is averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.

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Nets Defeat Lakers in Collins Debut

Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 23rd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 108 Lakers 102

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pickup the victory in Los Angeles on Sunday night, as newly acquired Jason Collins made history becoming the first openly gay player in the four major American sports. The victory moves the Nets to (26-28) on the season, and they are four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

Point Guard Deron Williams had easily one of his best games of the season, and his second straight great game since the All-Star break. Williams had a season-high 30 points on nine for 16 shooting and went 11 for 13 from the free throw line. In addition to his best season performance scoring, Williams dished out seven assists, which moved him into fifth place in franchise history. He also had a career-high six steals in what was an overall great game from Williams.

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Positives:

Paul Pierce absolutely lit it up to start the game, as his 14 first quarter points were a big factor to the Nets jumping out to a big lead to start the game. Pierce finished the game with 25 points on nine for 17 shooting, with seven rebounds and four assists. The hot start from Pierce led to a 33-21 score heading into the second quarter, when it looked like the Nets would be cruising to a victory.

Getting his first start of the season, Andrei Kirilenko came up with a good game for Brooklyn. Kirilenko had his first double-double of the season in 35 minutes, and he filled up the stat sheet. His 10 points came on four of eight shooting from the field, and he grabbed 10 rebounds with four steals, three assists, and one block.

Negatives:

The bench has been strength of the Nets most of the season, but with Kirilenko in the starting lineup with Shaun Livingston and Kevin Garnett out, it hurt the Nets bench production. Andray Blatche struggled against the Lakers, as he scored 10 points on a rough two for 10 shooting night. Marquis Teague had to play due to the injury to Livingston, but Teague didn’t impress given the opportunity, as in 12 minutes he didn’t score and only had one assists to two turnovers.

Lakers Center Pau Gasol has battled injuries all season, but on Sunday he was in the lineup, and looked good against the Nets small lineup. Gasol finished with team-high 22 points on eight for 12 shooting with 11 rebounds. A big game from Gasol wasn’t enough for the Lakers to comeback, but in the second half they outscored Brooklyn by 10 points making it a ball game late.

Next up for the Nets will be a few days off before their road-trip continues against All-Star Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers on Wednesday night.

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Nets Lose Hard Fought Game Against Warriors

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 22nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Golden State Warriors Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 86 Warriors 93

The Brooklyn Nets hung tough in Golden State against the Warriors, but couldn’t pull off the road upset against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. The loss moves the Nets to (25-28) on the season, and are now four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

Offensive production was hard to come by for the Nets against the Warriors, but Deron Williams did look healthy, and played a good game for Brooklyn. Williams scored a team-high 20 points on eight for 16 shooting, while dishing out six assists. Williams was able to outscore Warriors Point Guard Stephen Curry by three points, as Williams did his part to win the match-up, but he didn’t get much help from his fellow teammates in the starting lineup.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s bench was pretty solid once again, but they didn’t get to have newly acquired Marcus Thornton in Saturday’s game, as he was out with food poisoning. Andray Blatche played well once again, as he led the Nets bench with 14 points on six for nine shooting, with eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Andrei Kirilenko also played well in 32 minutes of game time, which is a lot more than usual. When Kirilenko is on the floor, the Nets are clearly better on the defensive end of the floor, as he is a versatile defender. He finished with six points on two for five shooting, with nine rebounds, three assists, and one block.

Negatives:

Without their normal starting Center Andrew Bogut, the Warriors started Jermaine O’Neal, who threw back the clock for a great game. O’Neal led all scorers with 23 points on a great 10 for 13 performance from the field. O’Neal was also the main reason the Nets were badly out-rebounded, as he had game-high 13. The frontline for the Warriors without David Lee dominated the glass, as O’Neal, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala all had double-digit rebounds leading to the 50 rebound day for Golden State.

espn.go.com

There was a lack of scoring support for Williams in the starting lineup, as Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce both struggled in the game. Johnson scored 15 points in the game, but shot the ball poorly going five of 16 from the field, and with the game close at the end had two costly turnovers. Pierce has been battling turf toe, which maybe affected him in Saturday’s game. He shot just three of 11 from field, ending up with just 11 points in 34 minutes.

A big blow for the Nets happened in the second quarter, as Guard Shaun Livingston went down hard and bruised his tailbone forcing him from the game. His status for their game on Sunday against the Lakers is unsure, which is a bad thing for the Nets, as Livingston has been playing very well of late for Brooklyn.

Next up for the Nets will be a the second half of their back to back against the Lakers, which is a situation that the Nets have struggled in this season.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Utah Jazz 2-19

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 19th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz

The Brooklyn Nets will be in Utah for their first game after the All-Star break, as they continue their circus road-trip, which started off with a loss against the Chicago Bulls last Thursday. Brooklyn will be starting the second half of the season with a (24-27) record, and they are four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division. 

- Back To Where It Started

Point Guard Deron Williams will be heading back to Utah, the team the drafted him, and also the team that traded him to the then New Jersey Nets. Playing against his former team in Utah, Williams is (0-2). Williams has been banged up so far this season, and his level of play is well down from previous years, so Brooklyn will be hoping that the All-Star break will have helped Williams get a little bit healthy for the second half of the season. Andrei Kirilenko will also be playing the Jazz for the third time in Utah since leaving them after 10 seasons, and like Williams has been unsuccessful trying to get a win in his first two tries.

barclayscenter.com

- Circus in Town

The Barclays Center has been taken over by the circus for the next few weeks, which will be sending the Nets on the road until March 3rd against the Bulls. The beginning of the road-trip was tough for Brooklyn, as they were handled easily by the Bulls, and the rest of the road-trip will have six more road games in store for them. The strength of the Nets opponents isn’t very tough, but road games are never easy, as the Nets are (8-16) on the road this season. The rest of the road-trip after Utah will be games against, the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Denver Nuggets, and then the Milwaukee Bucks.

- Young Core

Since trading Williams, the Jazz have been building through the draft, and now have a nice young core of players that have won their last three games. Gordon Hayward is their leading scorer with 16.3 points per game. Excluding Hayward, the Jazz have six players averaging double-digit points, so the Nets have to be prepared for a balanced attack on Wednesday night. Former Nets Derrick Favors and Richard Jefferson are two of those players averaging double-digit points, but for Wednesdays game are both questionable, as Favors has been dealing with a hip injury, and Jefferson has a stomach bug.

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Nets Defeat Banged Up Spurs

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 6th, 2014

San Antonio Spurs vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Spurs 89 Nets 103

For the first time since 2010, the Brooklyn Nets were able to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, as they took advantage of the banged up Spurs, earning themselves a nice victory at home. The win moves the Nets to (22-25) on the season, which puts them three games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Alan Anderson

newsday.com

One of the most unlikely people on the Nets to be the player of the game has to be Alan Anderson, but on Thursday night in a game the Nets needed to get against a Spurs team that was without so many of their rotation players, Anderson stepped up. Coming off the bench, Anderson played 30 minutes, while scoring a game-high 22 points on nine for 15 shooting. He really left his mark on the game in between the third and fourth quarters, as he scored 11 straight points for Brooklyn, which helped them secure the win.

Positives:

After a tough start in the game, going zero for four from the field for Deron Williams, he bounced back nicely despite having to go to the locker room in the second quarter after getting hit on his knee. Williams finished with 16 points on seven for 14 shooting to go along with his eight assists, and four rebounds. Getting hit on his knee however has to be concerning for Williams and the Nets, as he has missed a lot of time due to leg injuries, and those injuries have not helped his performance on the court in what has been a disappointing season for him.

The Nets bench was night and day different than against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, as with Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche back in uniform, the Nets bench unit played great. Kirilenko did all the little things that he was brought in to do, as he had a season-high eight rebounds and a season-high six assists, while the Nets improved to (13-5) when he plays. Blatche also had a nice game coming off missing the 76ers game, as he had 10 points on five for 12 shooting, with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Mirza Teletovic, who did play against the 76ers also got in on the action scoring 10 points on four for 10 shooting, while grabbing seven rebounds. The Nets for being a pretty small team without Brook Lopez, dominated the glass on Thursday, grabbing a season-high 53 rebounds.

Good performances were seen from most of the starting lineup, as besides the good game from Williams, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston all played well. Garnett played just 18 minutes, but almost notched a double-double with eight points on four for nine shooting and nine rebounds. Pierce also had an easy night minutes wise playing just 23, but he scored 12 points on five for six shooting, and grabbed seven rebounds. Livingston had another nice all-around game, scoring eight points on four for nine shooting, with five rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.

Negatives:

The only real negative for the Nets in the 14-point victory was that they did start off very sluggish in the first quarter, as they were outscored 24-17. They were down 18-6 at one point in the first quarter, but they bounced back and handled their business winning every other quarter by at least six points.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday night, and the Nets will be without Garnett, who will be getting a game off for rest.

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W2W4: San Antonio Spurs vs Brooklyn Nets 2-6

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 6th, 2014

W2W4: San Antonio Spurs vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets will be hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, as Brooklyn looks to keep the momentum from a win against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets will be entering Thursday’s game with a (21-25) record, and are 3.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

- Getting Healthy

In the win against the 76ers on Monday the Nets were without three of their normal rotation players, but on Thursday they should be back to full strength. Joe Johnson, Andray Blatche, and Andrei Kirilenko are all expected to be playing, which will be a big boost, as in the win on Monday their bench unit really struggled with the lack of depth.

gamblerspalace.com

- Suiting Up

The Spurs unlike the Nets now are very banged up, and after a tough double-overtime victory on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, it seems that the Spurs will be without their “Big 3”. Manu Ginobili is expected to be out until late February with a hamstring injury and Kawhi Leonard has also been out lately with a fractured right hand. On Wednesday night Tony Parker was forced to leave the game early with a back injury and has been officially ruled out for Thursday’s game. Tim Duncan had a monster game against the Wizards, but being on the court for 40 minutes would make it seem likely that Greg Popovich will be giving the 37-year old a night off on Thursday.

- Ending the Drought

Thursday will present the Nets with their best chance of being able to beat the Spurs since 2010 due to all the injuries and the long game on Wednesday. When the Nets played in San Antonio on New Years Eve it was pretty much a mop up, as the Spurs won easily 113-92. In the Spurs victory that night it was a well balanced attack, with six players in double-figures that defeated the Nets, but this is a Nets team that is playing much better since then, and three of those players that scored in double-figures for the Spurs that night will most likely be out.

Tonight is a great chance for the Nets to gain ground in the Atlantic Division, but they have to be careful not to overlook the Spurs without their “Big 3”. Popovich is a great coach and  has been able to win a game against the Golden State Warriors already this year without his three Hall Of Famers.

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Buzzer-Beater from Joe Johnson helps Nets shock Thunder

northjersey.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 95 Thunder 93

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pull off their best win of the season thus far on Thursday night in Oklahoma City with a comeback 95-93 victory over Kevin Durant and the Thunder. The win moves the Nets to 11-21 on the season, and are five games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Positives:

- Nets Point Guard Deron Williams had a fantastic game in the Nets best win of the season, as he really carried the Nets for most of the game. Williams finished with a game-high and season-high 29 points on 10 for 17 shooting. Williams really was feeling it from downtown, as he had a season-high six three-pointers on nine attempts, which included a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter. If Deron Williams can play close to the way he did on Thursday night against the Thunder the Nets can certainly make a run in what is a wide open Atlantic Division even without Lopez.

- With no Russell Westbrook the Nets did a pretty good job keeping Durant's scoring to a manageable number, as he was held to 24 points. Durant was however very efficient shooting the ball going eight for 13 from the field, but he did have five turnovers, and a -6 +/- on the court. Overall Jason Kidd has to be happy with how his team did against the second best player in the NBA.

- Brooklyn saw some good production off the bench from two of their wing players, as Andrei Kirilenko and Alan Anderson lead the way for the Nets bench. Kirilenko in his second game back from the injury played 15 minutes, which was a little more than expected, but he looked good scoring nine points on three for three shooting, and three for four from the foul line. Anderson was the Nets leading bench scorer with 13 points on three for six shooting, and he also got to the free throw line a lot going seven for nine at the line.

- Joe Johnson was having a very quiet game up until the fourth quarter when like last season he was called upon to deliver a clutch shot with the game tied at 93. Johnson who had ice in his veins so many times last year did it again tonight with the buzzer-beater to shock the heavily favored Thunder as time expired. Johnson finished the game scoring only nine points on four for 11 shooting, and was one for six from three-point range.

Negatives:

- The only negative for the Nets in their best win of the season was the disastrous second quarter, which was the reason for the great come from behind win. Brooklyn was more than doubled in the quarter, as the Thunder scored 33 points to the Nets 15. In the quarter the Nets only had three field goals, as the lopsided quarter could have been even worse for Brooklyn. They however outscore the Thunder in every other quarter, but when a team has a quarter like the Nets did in the second it makes it tough to win, and is certainly a thing the Nets wont want to see moving forward.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip back home for a very winnable game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday January 4^th.

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