When: 7:30 PM EST; Monday, March 23rd, 2015
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES
Almost two weeks ago, after their fifth-straight loss–a defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat–the Nets were about as close to rock bottom as possible. They were a season-high 13 games under .500 with a 25-38 record and appeared destined for the lottery, even though their high first round draft pick would be swapped with the much lower Atlanta Hawks’ selection.
Now, they’re just 10 under .500–admittedly, not much better, but an improvement nonetheless–and are only one game out of the playoffs, as improbable as that may be. Their opponent tonight–the Celtics–is a half-game ahead of Brooklyn and a half-game between the Hornets, who are currently the No. 8 seed, the final postseason position.
Boston is without Isaiah Thomas (back) and Jared Sullinger (foot), making the game all the more winnable and important for Brooklyn. The Celtics, who lost at home to the Pistons in overtime Sunday, are leading the season series with the Nets 2-1, meaning a win for them would clinch the tiebreaker should the team tie at the end of the season.
On the other hand, with a win, the Nets would even the series up, leaving the tiebreaker to be decided between the respective teams’ Eastern Conference records. Also, a Brooklyn win would leapfrog it ahead of Boston and–depending on how the Hornets fare in Chicago tonight–possibly into the playoff picture.
Probable Lineups
BOS- Avery Bradley (PG), Evan Turner (SG), Jae Crowder (SF), Brandon Bass (PF), Tyler Zeller (C)
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Markel Brown (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Final Thoughts
Boston is coming off a brutal home loss last night and has lost three in a row while Brooklyn has had a day of rest since their Saturday night win over the Pacers in Indy. Boston is also missing key guys. What does this mean? No excuses for the Nets.
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