It was only a matter of time. The Brooklyn Nets held the lead against the league leading Cleveland Cavaliers for much of the night. However, the greats always figure it out and that’s what the one seed Cavs did as they came from behind to beat the Nets.
The opponent tonight is a good bet to make the play-in tournament. The Chicago Bulls have undergone a makeover since we last saw them, but here they are. They helped their postseason cause with a victory against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV, Gotham Sports on the App. WFAN on radio. Tip after 8 PM.
Injuries
Noah Clowney is out with a right ankle sprain. No De’Anthony Melton either as he continues to recover from a left knee ACL tear.
Lonzo Ball is doubtful with a right wrist sprain. Josh Giddey is doubtful with a right ankle sprain. Ayo Dosunmu is out as he recovers from left shoulder surgery.
The game
Brooklyn won the first meeting in November while the Bulls got the second one in December. This is the last meeting between the two teams this season.
The Nets will see an old nemesis once again. Nikola Vucevic recently returned from a calf injury and came off the bench on Monday night. In 24 minutes off the bench, he grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 11 points. No word on if he’ll return to the starting lineup, but he figures to make his presence felt whenever he’s on the court. That should make for a good challenge for Nic Claxton and Day’ron Sharpe. With this being the third game in four nights in three cities, it’s going to be a tall task.
It’ll be more complicated by the presence of Zach Collins. Collins was a throw in at the trade deadline, but has played well in his new city. He’s averaging 8.5 rebounds a night and has made 32.4 percent of his threes as a Bull. On the surface, that isn’t much to write home about, but it does represent an increase from what he was doing as a Spur in limited minutes this season. As always, the Bulls have to figure out what they want their future to be. Maybe Collins will be a part of it? Tonight at least, the Nets will have to work hard to keep the Bulls frontcourt duo off the glass. If they can, it can lead to easy opportunities on the break.
By all accounts, it’s been the best season of Cam Johnson’s career. He’s maintained his excellent shooting even with increased responsibilities on offense. However, his passing has stood out the most. Our very own Lucas Kaplan wrote about CJ’s glow up in December, and he’s continued to shine since then
As we wind down this season, Johnson’s continued development will be something Nets fans watch closely.
Player to watch: Coby White
The Zach Lavine question hovered over the team all season. At the deadline, Bulls management finally answered it by sending him out west to the Sacramento Kings. With Lavine’s departure, that fully opened the door for Coby White to be the lead two guard on this team. So far, it’s been paying dividends. Since Lavine’s last game as a Bull on January 27, White has averaged 21 points on .435/.360/.946 shooting splits. It’s been a journey for the sixth year guard to get to this point, and it’s something he’s definitely not going to take lightly:
“I wasn’t very good when I came into the league. I had a lot to learn, and I knew that. It’s all about humbling myself to the point where I look in the mirror and say, ‘I have to get better at this, this and this. I have to get stronger. I have to be more physical. I have to figure out who I am as a player.’ It was hard to humble myself and ask those questions, but it needed to be done. That’s kind of what I did and how I approached it. I thank God I’m here now, and I have this opportunity in front of me.”
White has made the most of his opportunities and figures to be a big part of Chicago’s future.
For the Nets tonight, they’ve got to meet White at the rim when he drives to the cup. If they don’t, he’s liable to finish over traffic and open the entire court up for his teammates
Cam Thomas will look to end this game on a better note than he did on Tuesday. CT went 2-8 in the fourth quarter and missed some opportunities here and there
He can’t beat himself up for too long. Gotta get back out there and get on the good foot. The Bulls allow teams to take 30 shots per game inside the restricted area, most in the NBA. Look for Thomas to drive early and often so he can get to the line and create quality looks for his teammates all over the court.
From the Vault
Ones in the air for D’Wayne Wiggins
And Roy Ayers
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