Game 54 Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (26-25) at Brooklyn Nets (31-22)

 

Game 54 Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (26-25) at Brooklyn Nets (31-22)
After missing the Nets' two games right before the All-Star break (wins over the Nuggets and Pacers) with ankle inflammation, Deron Williams is expected to return tonight vs the Bucks
 

When: 7:30 PM: Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY

TV: YES Network

Both the Bucks and the Nets try to get back into game shape tonight after the long All-Star break, in which's festivities MIlwaukee wasn't represented at all. Of course, the Nets had Brook Lopez in both the Shooting Stars Contest and All-Star Game–which were each exercises in defeat for Brooklyn's center–while Milwaukee had no representatives in any of the weekend's events. 

The Bucks try to extend their reign of dominance over the Nets franchise which extends back 13 games, aided by two early-season Milwaukee wins over Brooklyn that nudged the streak to where it is now, in a place where it is threatening going to 14 defeats in-a-row for the Nets, should they lose again tonight. Good for P.J. Carlesimo and the Nets, however, is that the Bucks are heading into this game riding a 1-4 stretch in their last five games and 2-6 stretch in their last eight. At this point in their futility against the fearsome deer, the Nets could use any advantage they can get in order to win a game against this team.


Probable Lineups

MIL- Jennings (PG), Ellis (SG), Mbah a Moute (SF), Ilyasova (PF), Dalembert (C)

BKN- Watson (PG), Johnson (SG), Wallace (SF), Evans (PF), Lopez (C)

Final Thoughts

These teams do it again tomorrow night in Milwaukee but the key for the Nets to win both games will be the same: stopping the perimeter shooting ability of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. Both guards take a ton of shots, but also make a lot of them, and they can put up a bunch of points in a relatively short amount of time. Sure, Ersan Ilyasova is another player to watch but Ellis and Jennings pose more of a problem for the Nets, who tend to have trouble limiting small, quick, accurate shooters like those two.

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