Netlinked 1/27/14: DeMar DeRozan out for tonight’s game versus Nets

Netlinked 1/27/14: DeMar DeRozan out for tonight's game versus Nets
DeRozan, who is averaging 26.5 points in two games against the Nets this season, will miss tonight's tilt (ankle)

Netlinked is back with some promising news for the Nets' 2014 roll:

The Brooklyn Nets are probably at their highest point of the 2013-14 season, and are still getting good news, outside of their current five-game winning streak and 10-win in 11-game stretch. DeMar DeRozan, the leading scorer for the Toronto Raptors, who the Nets play tonight in Brooklyn, hasn't made the trip with his team to New York because of a bum ankle, so obviously he won't suit up for the game between the divisional foes.

It's never good to hear about player injuries, especially to one of the league's most promising shooting guards, but Brooklyn has to be ecstatic that DeRozan isn't able to play tonight.

The USC product and Southern California native has scored 26, 27, and 36 points in his last three games against the Nets, two of the three being Toronto wins. Also, in 16 career games against New Jersey/Brooklyn, he's averaging 19.1 points per game on 49 percent shooting, which is his 2nd-highest point average against any NBA team. Who has he scored the most against? You guessed it, the Knicks. DeRozan is putting up 19.4 points on 51 percent shooting per contest with New York.

The Raptors are the only team to beat the Nets so far in 2014, so you know Brooklyn is smelling revenge in search of its 11th win of the new year. A day after the Nets took down the Miami Heat in double overtime on January 10th, Toronto came back from a double-digit 4th quarter deficit to snap the then-five-game winning streak of the Nets. A win tonight and that loss is all but forgotten, as it would bring Brooklyn to within a half game of the Atlantic Divison leader, the Raptors.

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