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| Tonight, the Nets have to go up against the best player in the NBA |
When: 7:00 PM EST; Wednesday, March 12th, 2014
Where: American Airlines Arena; Miami, FL
TV: YES Network/ESPN
When the Nets play the two-time defending champion Miami Heat later tonight in South Beach, they won't have Kevin Garnett (back spasms) for the 7th straight game and won't Andrei Kirilenko either for the 2nd game in a row, as he's out with a sprained ankle. KG was supposed to return to the Brooklyn lineup on Monday against the Raptors, but didn't feel great during warmups and ended up not playing.
This means Brooklyn will be without two of its better frontcourt defenders against one of the most athletic and physical teams in the league in the Heat. Obviously, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh are hard to guard for the Nets when Brooklyn is at full strength, but with those two injuries, that task just got much, much harder.
The Nets, though, are coming off a huge win at home on Monday against the Raptors that brought them to within three games of the Atlantic Division lead. Toronto led much of the 1st half in that one before a Brooklyn 14-0 run in the 3rd quarter, led by Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, gave the Nets a lead they would (mostly) carry through until regulation was over.
Probable Lineups
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Shaun Livingston (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Paul Pierce (PF), Mason Plumlee (C)
MIA- Mario Chalmers (PG), Dwyane Wade (SG), Shane Battier (SF), LeBron James (PF), Chris Bosh (C)
Final Thoughts
Brooklyn, having beaten the Heat twice already this year at home in the only meetings so far, can clinch a relatively meaningless season series with a win tonight. The problem is that the Nets haven't won in Miami in more than six years and not having KG or AK wil not help with that.
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