Game 24 Preview: Brooklyn Nets (10-13) at Toronto Raptors (19-6)

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When: 8:00 PM EST; Wednesday, December 17th, 2014

Where: Air Canada Centre; Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV: YES Network/ESPN

A night after somehow losing to the Miami Heat sans Chris Bosh and other supporting players, the Nets head north of the border to take on the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors for the first time this season.

Brooklyn, as the No. 6 seed, took down the No. 3 Raptors in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season in seven games with the help of some pretty amazing plays by Paul Pierce, who is now in Washington. However, since that series ended, the fortunes of these two teams have progressed in very different ways.

The Nets got dispatched in five games by the Heat in the second round and have plodded their way to a disappointing 10-13 start to the new season. The Raptors, on the other hand, have the best record in the Eastern Conference and have won 76 percent of their games so far. Pretty, pretty good.

Probable Lineups

BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Alan Anderson (SF), Mirza Teletovic (PF), Mason Plumlee (C)

TOR- Kyle Lowry (PG), Landry Fields (SG), Terrence Ross (SF), Amir Johnson (PF), Jonas Valanciunas (C)

Final Thoughts

The Raptors are a more youthful and athletic team than the Nets and, outside of DeMar “Net-killer” DeRozan’s groin injury that has had him sidelined for a few weeks, are relatively healthy. Brooklyn played last night and comes into this game without Brook Lopez (back), Kevin Garnett (rest) and Sergey Karasev (side). Not the best circumstances.

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