A win that everyone feels like a loss. The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Washington Wizards on Sunday afternoon. The team snapped their latest losing streak and came away with a 121-115 win.
The opponent tonight is stuck with nowhere to go. It’s been a lost season for the Milwaukee Bucks and they’re desperately trying to find out what their future is. They beat the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Sunday afternoon.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on streaming. WFAN on radio. Tip after 7:30 PM.
🤕 Injuries
The following
are out:
- Nic Claxton
- Noah Clowney
- Egor Demin
- Terance Mann
- Michael Porter Jr
- Day’ron Sharpe
- Ziaire Willimas
- Danny Wolf
Ben Saraf is probable.
The following are out:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Kyle Kuzma
- Kevin Porter Jr
- Bobby Portis
- Ryan Rollins
- Gary Trent Jr
- Myles Turner
🏀 The game
When you fancy yourself a championship contender and have one of the best players in the league on your team, you HAVE to find good young talent on the cheap. With a hard salary cap and roster restrictions, you’ve got to hit on the margins and hope that you develop young talent so you can remain in contention. The Bucks have failed to do that in recent years and it’s led them to this moment of truth. Shams Charania has been driving discussion on the Bucks’ dealings for the past few years and earlier this morning, published a story on ESPN that detailed the latest drama surrounding the team. This part in particular stood out:
“Multiple moves by the front office, both in roster building and rotations, failed to work out this season, including most recently the signing of Cam Thomas after the 24-year-old guard was waived by the Brooklyn Nets. Horst touted Thomas as a key piece to the team’s playoff hopes and long-term contending ability, while Rivers compared him to two former elite scorers and Sixth Men of the Year he coached, Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford.
After averaging 24.3 points during a three-game win streak early in his Bucks tenure, Thomas’ production and minutes began to dwindle as the organization soured on Thomas. After not playing in three of his final five games in a Bucks uniform, Thomas was waived to make room for the Bucks to sign two-way big man Pete Nance to a multiyear deal.
The Bucks also cut the guaranteed contracts of second-round picks Tyler Smith and Chris Livingston out of training camp to keep Amir Coffey, who spent most of the season out of the rotation and was moved at the trade deadline along with Cole Anthony, another offseason signing.“
There’s a lot bigger news in that Charania story, but we’ll save that for Friday.
Nolan Traore will look to put another good outing together. Traore made a season high five three pointers on Sunday and if he can continue to find success from deep, it will boost his stock on the team. On the season, he’s shooting just 32.4 percent from deep. But with time, maybe he can reach a higher level.
Turnovers will tell the story tonight. Both of these teams are in the bottom third of the NBA in turnover rate and whoever can create more TOs, the more they’ll be able to get out on the break to find easy baskets in transition. With so many players out tonight, it’ll be up to the ones on the court to make the most of their minutes.
👀 Player to watch: Taurean Prince
Hey, an old friend! Prince has a solid contributor in his decade in the league and could be someone teams turn to if they need a steady veteran presence in the future. At 32 years old, he still has plenty to offer and could help a playoff team down the line. Whether that’s with the Bucks remains to be seen. They’ve got a lot going on right now.
Jalen Wilson will get the start for the Nets and he’ll be one of the guys looking to put up a good outing as he moves to the offseason. Jordi Fernandez is pressing as many buttons as he can to find players who can contribute and give good minutes as he winds this season down. Every day is an opportunity to make a lasting impression and we’ll see how Wilson makes the most of his tonight.
📺 From the Vault
Doc Rivers is heading to the Naismith Hall of Fame this fall, and he’s had success in various roles across basketball history.
More reading: Brew Hoop, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
- Milwaukee Bucks Games Notes – Milwaukee Bucks
- Milwaukee plays Brooklyn, looks to end road skid – AP
- Nolan Traoré is a promising work in progress, but what he does next could alter the Nets’ future ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
