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Indiana Pacers (6-0) @ Brooklyn Nets (2-3)

Barclays Center 7:30

TV: YES – RADIO: CBS 880[/box]

[quote_simple]NETS STARTERS

The starting lineup will be Deron Williams playing alongside Joe Johnson in the backcourt with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and the man in the middle Brook Lopez up front.

The Nets are coming off their third straight road loss as they lost to the Wizards in overtime to start 0-3 on the road for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Pierce will try and play through his illness again tonight after he struggled going 1-of-5 and scoring only four points to go with eight rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes in the Wizards loss.

Garnett is struggling offensively averaging a measly six point and shooting just 30 percent from the field.  He did not hit a shot last night until there was less than two minutes to play in regulation.

[box]”I’m not in an offensive rhythm that I would like,” Garnett said. “But that’s not a priority here. The priority is getting the stops and finishing teams off and finishing quarters off and coming out with better thirds. Who cares about this offense? Needless to say, we got to make buckets.”[/box]

[box]Game Notes:

Brooklyn has beaten the Pacers four straight games including a three-game sweep last season.

The Nets will see an old friend tonight when they see CJ Watson who signed with the Pacers in the offseason and should start once again for the ailing George Hill.

The Pacers have been the NBA’s top defensive team thus far, yielding league lows of 84.3 points per game and 37.8 percent shooting, including 32.0 from beyond the arc. They’ve allowed only one opponent to reach 40.0 percent from the floor.

[quote_simple]WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Measuring stick game

The Nets will get a chance to put the bad road loss last night behind them quickly and try to be the first them to beat the Pacers this season.

This is a great chance to make a statement and show the rest of the league that even through their inconsistency early in the season that they can play with the upper echelon teams in the East.

PACERS  STARTERS

George is playing like and early MVP candidate averaging 25.3 points per game and grabbing 8.2 rebounds.

The Pacers will try to end a four-game losing streak to the Nets as Brooklyn swept them in three games last season.

The Nets have been able to slow down Hibbert in the past four games holding him to 10 points a game on 37 percent shooting.

[box]”I don’t expect to have 20-point nights all the time,” Hibbert said. “I just wanted to be solid on defense and give the team as much as I could on offense. I try to be the backbone on the defense and luckily some of my shots went in.”
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[box]INJURY REPORT

NETS

Shaun Livingston – GTD (sprained left ankle)

PACERS

George Hill – GTD  (sore left hip)

Danny Granger – OUT (strained left calf)

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