GAMENIGHT

Memphis Grizzlies (36-18) @ Brooklyn Nets (33-23)

Barclays Center 7:00

TV: ESPN/YES – RADIO: WFAN 660 AM/101.9 FM

The Memphis Grizzlies visit New York tonight to face the Brooklyn Nets on national television, ESPN at 7pm, to try and run their win streak to seven games.  The Grizzlies have been playing great basketball the last two weeks and are getting their team’s roles down after trading away Rudy Gay to Toronto.  The Grizzlies’ plus-4.4 rebounding differential ranks them second in the NBA right now.

The Nets had their four-game win streak ended on Friday night with a loss to the visiting Houston Rockets 106-96.  The game was there for the taking, playing without Joe Johnson for the first time this year, the Nets had the score at 97-94 with two minutes to play but couldn’t finish.  The Rockets James Harden and Carlos Delfino both hit 3-point shots in the final minutes to dash the Nets comeback chances.

The game was a much better game then the last time the two teams played in January and the Nets will try to do the same with the Grizzlies tonight.  The Grizzlies handled the Nets easily in the first meeting, 101-77 on Jan. 25, outscoring Brooklyn 62-40 in the paint and manhandling them along the way.

[quote_box]”It’s tough cause we’re in a position where if we lose a couple games, we slip to sixth or seventh,” said Williams, who had 12 points against Memphis last month. “We win a couple, we can move up to second. So I need to be out there as much as possible. I need to continue to do things I need to do in the weight room and training room to stay as healthy and as fresh as possible.”[/quote_box]

The Nets frontcourt will have their hands full tonight with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol leading the way for Memphis.  The energy level and play from the backcourt, missing Joe Johnson, will have to do better than the 12 points Deron Williams scored and Johnson’s 11 in their last meeting.  C.J. Watson will get his second start alongside Williams and hopes to continue his recent good play.  Watson hit for 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting to give the Nets a chance to beat the Rockets and looks to have found his confidence again.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME: Brook Lopez  vs Marc Gasol

Brook Lopez held his own the last time he played Gasol, matching him with 18 points, although defensively he allowed too many paint points.  Gasol had his way with 20 points, 10 of his 14 shot attempts in the first half while also hauling in seven of his nine boards by halftime.  The rebounding and all around hustle needs to increase to give the Nets any chance at beating the streaking Grizzlies.

STAT FOR TONIGHT: Brooklyn is one game behind New York Knicks for the Atlantic Division lead and third place in the Eastern Conference so with a win tonight and a Knicks loss the division could be tied.

Nets:

Joe Johnson (sore heel, plantar fasciitis) is OUT

Jerry Stackhouse (rest) is OUT

Grizzlies:

None