When: 7:30 PM EST; Monday, April 13th, 2015
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES
The Nets threw away a chance to inch closer to a postseason berth yesterday afternoon in Milwaukee against Jason Kidd and the Bucks. Brooklyn, after a solid first half in which it stuck with the younger and much more athletic Bucks, fell apart in the second en route to losing 96-73.
Coupled with a Pacers win over the Thunder, the Nets fell back into a tie with Indiana in the No. 8 spot in the East with just two games left for both teams. Tonight, Indiana is idle while Brooklyn is back at home to play the Bulls, who will be without Kirk Hinrich and possibly Joakim Noah. However, Bulls’ star point guard Derrick Rose returned from a prolonged knee injury a few games and has looked sharp.
As important as this game is for the Nets–who can knock the Miami Heat out of playoff contention with a win or a Heat loss–it’s also one the Bulls would like to have. Chicago and Toronto are tied for the No. 3 seed at the moment, and the winner of the battle between the Bulls and Raptors gets to play the Bucks with the loser likely facing off with the Wizards. As bad as Washington has played lately, Milwaukee is a much more desirable opponent.
Probable Lineups
CHI- Derrick Rose (PG), Jimmy Butler (SG), Mike Dunleavy (SF), Taj Gibson (PF), Pau Gasol (C)
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Markel Brown (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Final Thoughts
A loss tonight and the Nets will officially lose the ability to control their own destiny, as they own the tiebreaker with the Pacers. They would really, really rather that not happen, even with Indiana playing Memphis and Washington, two tough teams to close out the regular season. The Bulls are good, and have a lot to play for, but this is the time for the Nets to step up and finish their season with a flourish and a third-straight playoff appearance.
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