Amid the Brooklyn Nets’ dissapointing slump, they have an opportunity to end their losing streak at seven at home tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers. The out-of-conference tilt will play witness to a revenge game on each side, as D’Angelo Russell and Dorian Finney-Smith take on their former teams for the second time since being traded for one another.
The Nets enter the day as 6.5-point underdogs to the Lakers, and the total over/under is 216.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
1. Contain Austin Reaves. In their first meeting this season — a Jan. 17 102-101 Lakers win — the Nets couldn’t stop Reaves. He exploded for a then-career-high 38 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter. Since adding Luka Doncic, Los Angeles’ offense has become even more lethal, creating a major need to prevent Reaves from coming anywhere close to replicating his dominant performance.
2. Get D’Angelo Russell Going Early. In the aformentioned loss to the Lakers, Russell led the team with 19 points and eight assists. Against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night — his third game back from injury — he again led Brooklyn with 28 points and seven assists in a losing effort. When he’s feeling it offensively, the Nets’ scoring attack opens up for others to get involved. His display this evening will be vital to breaking the seven-game skid.
3. Take Advantage of the Absences. LeBron James and Jaxson Hayes have both already been ruled out, and Doncic is questionable ahead of tip-off. With Ziaire Williams’ recent emergence as a scorer, as well as Nic Claxton’s recent struggles, capitalizing on the Lakers’ lack of two starters (specifically James) will be paramount to finding success for the first time since late February.
Following tonight’s matchup, the Nets get a quick turnaround by way of a 7 p.m. Eastern Conference road battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. EST. The Cavaliers have claimed all three prior matchups this season as Brooklyn will attempt to earn its first victory against top-seeded Cleveland.
