When: March 13, 2016; 8:00 PM EST
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
The Nets get to play on their home court for the first time tonight since February 21st, as their nine-game road trip — on which they went just 3-6 — has concluded. They’ll welcome former star Nets player and coach Jason Kidd and his Milwaukee Bucks to town on Sunday night in a meeting between two teams that are on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Brooklyn concluded the trip with three consecutive losses, to the Timberwolves, Raptors and 76ers. The 76ers’ loss was especially troubling, as a severely undermanned Philadelphia team shut down the Nets’ backcourt. The loss to Toronto was pretty close throughout and the defeat at the hands of the Timberwolves was mainly due to the resting of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, but the loss in Philly was just a stinker, through and through.
With less than 20 games to go in a truly terrible season for the Nets, all that’s left to play for is pride and the future, which could potentially involve much of this current roster. Guys like Markel Brown, Chris McCullough, the injured Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic and other, obviously including Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, have the chance to be organizational mainstays and how they perform the rest of the way will be interesting to see.
Meanwhile, the Bucks, another young and, arguably, underperforming team, don’t have much to play for either but have won their last 2 games. Milwaukee is 6 games out of the No. 8 spot in the East, so a playoff appearance is unlikely, but exciting young talent like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have made strides this year so the future is bright. Jason Kidd, who is in his second year as coach of the Bucks, has a great core that should only improve.
Probable lineups
MIL- Jerryd Bayless (PG), Khris Middleton (SG), Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF), Jabari Parker (PF), Greg Monroe (C)
BKN- Donald Sloan (PG), Markel Brown (SG), Bojan Bogdanovic (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Final thoughts
Wayne Ellington (upper respiratory condition) is out tonight for the Nets, so Markel Brown will start in his place. Brown has played very well lately and should be able to bring a spark to a starting lineup that faded a bit as the recent road trip went a long.
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