When: 10:30 PM EST; Thursday, January 22nd, 2015
Where: Staples Center; Los Angeles, CA
TV: TNT
Following a nail-biting 103-100 win over the Sacramento Kings last night, the Nets–who blew a 23-point first half lead and 17-point fourth quarter lead–are in The City of Angels to take on the Clippers, winners of three of their last four games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two teams as their game in Brooklyn is just over a week away on February 2nd. Sixth in the tight Western Conference, the Clippers are 28-14 and have undoubtedly been a pretty good team so far this year but clearly haven’t realized their full potential. Some rumors of discontent have been floating around the organization considering the team’s inability to reach the conference finals in any of Chris Paul’s three (now four) seasons in LA.
Paul, Doc Rivers’s offensive captain, is approached 30 years of age and is a certain reminder that the Clippers’ contending window won’t be open forever, putting the pressure on for this season. As we know with the NBA, anything can happen but if Los Angeles doesn’t become of the West’s top teams soon, a fourth-straight year of losing in the postseason’s first round or semifinals may be ahead.
The Nets’ problems are much worse, in comparison, as they just have to worry about even making the playoffs at all. With their win yesterday, they held on their tenable No. 8 seed in the East tied with the Heat and just a game ahead of the Hornets. The Pistons are also two games behind Brooklyn so any Nets loss and they risk getting pushed right out of the playoffs.
Probable Lineups
BKN- Jarrett Jack (PG), Bojan Bogdanovic (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Mason Plumlee (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
LAC- Chris Paul (PG), J.J. Redick (SG), Matt Barnes (SF), Blake Griffin (PF), DeAndre Jordan (C)
Final Thoughts
The Clippers have Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to go against the Nets’ trio of Jarrett Jack, Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez. Not going to lie by saying I’m a little worried about that. Anyway, at least Brooklyn won yesterday.
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