When: 10:30 PM EST; Friday, February 20th, 2015
Where: Staples Center; Los Angeles, LA
TV: YES
One day after trading Kevin Garnett back to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Thaddeus Young at the trade deadline, the Nets return from the All-Star break on the road to take on the lowly Los Angeles Lakers, led by former Nets coach Byron Scott.
Brooklyn was close to trading Brook Lopez to the Thunder yesterday in a deal that would have brought point guard Reggie Jackson and other pieces back to the Nets. Instead, Jackson was traded to the Pistons in a three-team deal that sent Enes Kanter–drafted by the Jazz with a pick traded to Utah by the Nets in the Deron Williams trade–to Oklahoma City.
The Minnesota trade ended up being the only move Billy King made at the deadline, and the player he acquired, the 26-year-old Young (funny wording) will suit up for Brooklyn against the Lakers. But, with Jarrett Jack–who the Nets almost traded as well–out due to a hamstring injury, Lionel Hollins could use all healthy bodies in this very winnable game.
Los Angeles, with Kobe Bryant out for the season, is going through the motions in a tightly contested tanking competition between them, the Knicks, 76ers and the Timberwolves. Frankly, outside of Carlos Boozer, Nick Young and Jeremy Lin, this team doesn’t have many legitimate NBA players to speak of.
Probable Lineups
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Alan Anderson (SG), Bojan Bogdanovic (SF), Joe Johnson (PF), Mason Plumlee (C)
LAL- Jordan Clarkson (PG), Wayne Ellington (SG), Tarik Black (SF), Ryan Kelly (PF), Robert Sacre (C)
Final Thoughts
The Nets don’t have Jarrett Jack, and even with Young set to make his team debut, they’ll be shorthanded. Still, they have to win. The Lakers are really, really bad and Brooklyn needs every single win it can get as it slogs through an eight-game road trip, trying to keep playoff position.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
