When: 7:00 PM EST; Sunday, April 27th, 2014
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: TNT/YES Network
In staving off a desperate Toronto Raptors’ comeback attempt late in Game 3, the Brooklyn Nets took a key 2-1 advantage in their opening round series heading into Game 4 at home at the Barclays Center. The Nets were up by 15 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter but almost immediately saw their lead dwindle, eventually reaching just a single point before a pair of missed free throws by Patrick Patterson helped Brooklyn seal a victory.
The near-collapse made me, and I’m sure many other Nets fans, think back to last season’s Round 1, Game 4 failure against the Chicago Bulls, in which another double-digit lead was squandered late in the fourth quarter. The difference? A much different and less-balanced Brooklyn team ended up losing that game in triple overtime last season but held on for a win this time around. It wasn’t easy, but it still counts.
The ramifications from that triumph may carry over into tonight, as Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry hurt his knee in Game 3 and is likely to still be suffering the effects of that injury. He will play, that is nearly certain, but what isn’t known is how effective he will be since Deron Williams, who he has been matched up against this series, is sure to be active on the floor and will run Lowry around, trying to balk up his troublesome knee.
In order to take Game 4 on Sunday and head back to Toronto with a commanding 3-1 lead and chance to clinch on the Raptors’ home court, the Nets just need to play how they did for the first 43 minutes on Friday night. That means hitting timely shots, attacking the hoop relentlessly, not getting destroyed on the glass, and continuing to force Toronto turnovers, which have been incredibly important thus far. However, if they play the lazy and uninspired basketball of Game 3’s final 300 seconds, then they could be in serious trouble tonight.
Probable Lineups
TOR- Kyle Lowry (PG), DeMar DeRozan (SG), Terrence Ross (SF), Amir Johnson (PF), Jonas Valanciunas (C)
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Shaun Livingston (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Paul Pierce (PF), Kevin Garnett (C)
Final Thoughts
Heading into this series, the Nets knew they would need to take as much advantage of the few home games at Barclays they could get. They demonstrated that passion in Game 3 and will need it again in Game 4 in order to take a stranglehold on this series. The Brooklyn crowd most likely will be more rowdy than it was a few days ago, a presumption that should only help the Nets in their quest for a second straight win in this best-of-7 matchup.
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