When: 8:00 PM EST; Friday, May 1st, 2015
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: ESPN/my9
Since they’ve moved to Brooklyn, the Nets have needed to win a first round Game 6 in order to force a series-deciding Game 7. In, 2013, they did that on the road against the Bulls, only to fall at home in the next game. Last season, Brooklyn took down the Raptors at Barclays before a stunning road win in Game 7 sent them to the second round.
The Nets will need to continue their Game 6 success tonight in Brooklyn if they’re going to delay their offseason anymore than they surprisingly have already. Lionel Hollins’ squad–thanks to a strong second half performance–almost turned a 17-point first quarter deficit into an improbable road win but it fell apart late in the fourth. Joe Johnson missed a crucial layup and three while the Nets’ defense broke down, allowing the Hawks to stave off the road team en route to a huge Game 5 win.
That makes this game an obvious must-win for a Nets team that wasn’t expected to do much in this series, but, now that they’ve surprised some people with their good play, it has a legitimate shock to knock off the East’s No. 1 team. What do the Nets need to do that tonight, to get to the all-important Game 7?
Firstly, they need to rebound the ball much better than they did in Game 5. Atlanta got way too many easy second chance points on offensive boards that negated some of Brooklyn’s strong defensive possessions. Secondly, they need to contest the Hawks’ perimeter shooters much better, as they had loads of space on Wednesday and–although they missed plenty of open looks–are a very dangerous three-point shooting team. Finally, Brooklyn has to win the turnover battle. This is something the Nets did well in Game 4 but slacked off a little with in Game 5, which was a bit of an issue.
Probable Lineups
ATL- Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), DeMarre Carroll (SF), Paul Millsap (PF), Al Horford (C)
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Bojan Bogdanovic (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Final Thoughts
This is an objectively huge game for the Nets. In huge games, stars are supposed to step up and lead the way. Deron Williams did that in Game 4 with his 35 points, but he was non-existent two days ago. If Brooklyn is going to send this series back to Atlanta, Deron, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson have to play like their contracts indicate they should. If they don’t, it’ll be a rough night for the Nets and their fans.
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