The Brooklyn Nets (33-23, fifth in the Eastern Conference) visit Madison Square Garden on Monday to face the New York Knicks (31-27, seventh in the Eastern Conference). Brooklyn leads the regular-season series 2-0.
In the first game, a Nets 112-85 win on Nov. 9, Kevin Durant had a triple-double of 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in the winning effort. He became the first player since Michael Jordan to score at least 25 points in his team’s first 12 games. This was also the first game that the Nets played since making Jacque Vaughn their permanent head coach after considering hiring Ima Udoka to fill the role.
In the second game, a Brooklyn 122-115 win on Jan. 28, Kyrie Irving scored 32 points for the Nets, including 21 points in the fourth quarter, in the win. This was Irving’s sixth straight game of scoring at least 30 points which was a career-high for him as well as a Nets franchise record. It was also Brooklyn’s ninth straight victory over the Knicks.
Monday’s game will be different from the other two. For one, the Nets don’t have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, TJ Warren, or Markieff Morris as all of those players were traded before the deadline. Now, Brooklyn has Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith thanks to those trades. Time will tell what this Brooklyn team will be like moving forward.
The Knicks come into this game having won three of its last five games and that includes impressive wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and the Utah Jazz. New York also added Josh Hart at the deadline.
Here’s when and where you can tune in to see the matchup: