When: December 12, 2015; 5:00 PM EST
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
In the midst of a six-game homestand, the Brooklyn Nets — winners of two games in a row — host the Los Angeles Clippers in a strange Saturday early evening matchup at Barclays. The Nets, who have won six of their last seven home games, are actually playing some good basketball lately, with wins over the Rockets and 76ers this past week.
The 7-15 record is still unsightly, but it’s clear this team is not as bad as its 0-7 start to the season would imply. It’s also obvious the Nets play with much more confidence and aggressiveness as home as opposed to on the road. So, in facing a Clippers team that struggled to a 7-8 record after 15 games but has won six of its last eight, the Nets will have a challenge on their hands.
Los Angeles, with former Net Paul Pierce in tow along with former Nets head coach Lawrence Frank as an assistant to Doc Rivers, is playing the fourth game of a five-game road trip. Chris Paul and J.J. Redick have fought through some injuries to get back into the lineup and it finally appears as if a trendy pick to win the West is rounding back into shape.
Nearly losing DeAndre Jordan to the Mavericks this offseason, the Clippers boast one of the best frontcourt duos in the league with Jordan and Griffin, who will be tough matchups athletically for Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez. But, the guy that makes the Clippers an elite team is Paul, who, at 30, is still one of the league’s top floor generals.
In fact, he and Nets’ starting point guard, Jarrett Jack, both played in New Orleans during the 2010-11 season, so there’s some familiarity there. But, LA has the big backcourt advantage today and Brooklyn will be facing an uphill climb to win its season-high third-straight game.
Probable lineups
LAC- Chris Paul (PG), J.J. Redick (SG), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (SF), Blake Griffin (PF), DeAndre Jordan (C)
BKN- Jarrett Jack (PG), Bojan Bogdanovic (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Final thoughts
The Nets have been incredibly good at home the last few weeks, against some good teams too, and they’re catching the Clippers in the middle of a long trip. But, Los Angeles has some playmakers that Brooklyn just doesn’t match up well with. If the Nets are going to pull off this upset, they’ll have to win the rebounding battle, keep Brook Lopez out of foul trouble, make open threes and not let Griffin go off. Not too easy.
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