LIVE DISCUSSION: Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET
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Brooklyn has lost 5 straight entering Thursday.
The Nets have lost five straight and find themselves with the sixth-worth-record at 21-40. Tonight might be one of those tough nights when the opposition’s fanbase takes over Barclays Center. Anywhere Steph Curry goes, the fans will follow.
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Opponent: Golden State Warriors (34-28)
Tune In: YES Network; WFAN Radio
Pre-game Listen: The Brooklyn EP. 15
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INJURY REPORT: As close to a clean slate as we’ve seen all season. Only Noah Clowney (ankle) and DeAnthony Melton (torn ACL and not with the team) are out. We may also see Dariq Whitehead, Tosan Evbuomwan and new two-way Tyson Etienne on the bench tonight. Long Island is off till next Tuesday when they go back to Montreal. For Golden State, Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) remains out although he’s expected back when the Warriors return to San Francisco after their East Coast road trip ends tonight. Gary Payton II (nose) is probable.
THE GAME: The big positive for Brooklyn, other than that (nearly) clean injury report, is that Cam Thomas and D’Angelo Russell will be back as the starting backcourt for the second straight game. They had a bit of a slow start vs. the San Antonio Spurs. In the first quarter, Brooklyn was -7 with them on the floor before going +1 after both came off. Then in the second, with them on the floor, they propelled Brooklyn on a 10-0 run. Both played a little more than 25 minutes but had tough shooting nights, combining for 12-of-30 overall, 6-of-21 from deep. . Expect a little more than that tonight. Progress.
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Preview: Brooklyn’s Tank Meets Golden State’s Unstoppable Force
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One team is looking at draft position, while the other is trying to rise in the seeding.
Let’s talk momentum and mismatches, Dub Nation. The Warriors (34-28) roll into Brooklyn tomorrow to finish their five-game road trip against a Nets team (21-40) that’s embracing the TANK.
Golden State’s Jimmy Butler revenge tour has morphed into something more substantial. They have a legitimate playoff push that’s seen them climb to sixth in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Nets are stuck in basketball purgatory: too good to secure top lottery odds, too bad to seriously threaten the Play-In Tournament.
The timing couldn’t be better for the Warriors to catch Brooklyn, who just suffered their fifth straight loss against the Spurs in a game that featured Bismack Biyombo outplaying Nic Claxton. That’s like getting outcooked by someone using a microwave while you have a full chef’s kitchen.
The most intriguing subplot involves Brooklyn’s new backcourt experiment. D’Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas are finally starting together, creating what Nets fans hope is their own version of a Splash Brothers tribute band. It’s like watching someone build a sandcastle at high tide, impressive for a moment before the inevitable wave.
For Golden State, this matchup presents an opportunity to complete a spectacular 4-1 road trip and cement their transformation from play-in participants to playoff locks. The Warriors are now 9-1 with Butler in the lineup, and the Curry-Butler pairing has evolved from theoretical “what if” to devastating reality.
The defensive end is where this game could get particularly ugly. Brooklyn’s bottom-five league offense will face a Warriors team that’s rediscovered its defensive identity under the Draymond Green-Butler frontcourt combo. It’s the basketball equivalent of bringing a spork to a gunfight.
The question isn’t whether Golden State will win – it’s by how much. Brooklyn’s paint defense was absolutely torched by the Spurs to the tune of a 62-40 advantage. Now they’ll face a Warriors offense that’s been generating free throws at a rate not seen since the Durant era, thanks to Butler’s relentless rim attacks.
If the Warriors take care of business, they’ll head back to Chase Center with tremendous momentum before a seven-game homestand that could see them challenge for the fifth seed in the West. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that was still fighting to stay above .500 just a few weeks ago.
For Brooklyn, this game represents yet another opportunity to evaluate whether their Russell-Thomas backcourt has any long-term viability or if it’s just an entertaining sideshow while they drift toward better lottery odds.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in select states (for KS, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino). Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT) or visit FanDuel.com/RG.
