NETS GAMENIGHT: #Spurs @ #Nets

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (36-13) @ BROOKLYN NETS (21-25)

Barclays Center 8:00

TV: YES/TNT – RADIO: WFAN 660/101.9FM

[quote_simple]NETS STARTERS
The starting lineup tonight will be  Deron Williams playing alongside Shaun Livingston in the backcourt with Alan Anderson, Paul Pierce up front and the man in the middle Kevin Garnett.

The Nets did what they had to do against the 76ers while missing Johnson (knee tendinitis), Andrei Kirilenko (sore right calf) and Andray Blatche (hip)they still managed to snap a three-game losing streak with a 108-102 win at home.

The game was a lot closer than it should have been with the shorthanded bench giving up multiple leads but the starters came in to end the game and get the sorely needed win.

The last time these teams played was New years Eve and Brooklyn was handed a 113-92 loss which ultimately catapulted them into a 10-3 January and back into the Eastern conference playoff picture.

[box]Injury News:

Johnson, Kirilenko and Blatche have all stated that they intend to play in this game after missing the 76er game.

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SPURS STARTERS

The Spurs starting lineup will be Nando De Colo and Corey Joseph in the backcourt with Dannt Green, Marco Bellinelli and  Tiago Splitter  playing in the frontcourt.

Resting Duncan and playing without the injured Parker will leave the Spurs  severely short-handed as they go for their fourth straight win overall and 22nd in 23 meetings with the Nets tonight.

Duncan led the way in the Washington win with 31 points, 11 rebounds and five assists before fouling out in the second overtime, while Danny Green added 22 points, seven boards and five 3-pointers.

This is the third game in the Spurs annual Rodeo Road Trip with six more games after this one on the road.

[quote_simple][box]Game Notes:

San Antonio has won 21 of the last 22 in this series dating to Game 5 of the 2003 finals.

Nets looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Spurs (the Nets last defeated the Spurs 3/29/10).

The Nets matched their season-high with 15 steals and became the first team in the NBA this season to record 13 or more steals in  three straight games.

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[quote_simple]WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Take advantage and get a win

The Spurs will be without the Big Three and Kwahi Leonard so the importance of this game just went up ten fold.  This is a game that Brooklyn needs to win in their own building and an injured opponent coming in.

Brooklyn team that ranks near the bottom of the league with a minus-3.5 rebounding margin so it will be a test once again to compete on the boards but having AK47 and Blatche back will surely help in that category.

Play a solid game in your own building and hammer a weak teams second unti and move one game closer to .500.  Period.

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[box]INJURY REPORT

NETS

Brook Lopez  – OUT (ankle)

SPURS

Tony Parker– OUT (back stiffness)

Tim Duncan  – OUT (rest)

Kwahi Leonard – OUT (fractured hand)

Manu Ginobili – OUT (hamstring)

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