NETS GAMENIGHT: #Cavs @ #Nets

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Updated: March 28, 2014

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (29-44) @ BROOKLYN NETS (37-33)

Barclays Center 7:30

TV: YES  RADIO: WFAN 660/101.9FM

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NETS STARTERS
The starting lineup will be  Deron Williams playing alongside  Shaun Livingston in the backcourt with  Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce up front and the man in the middle Mason Plumlee.

The third straight overtime game for the Nets ended exactly like the second one and not the first.  They lost to a pesky Charlotte Bobcats team 111-106 in overtime and their bench being short handed without Kirilenko and Thornton hurt them in the loss.

Al Jefferson and all other big men the Nets play lately seem to have career games and dominate Brooklyn inside.  The rebounding is one deficiency is a nightly issue but the lack of protecting the paint is something that needs to be fixed right away.

Marcus Thornton (bruised lower back) is probable to play.

Kevin Garnett will miss a 15th straight game due to back spasms so the Nets bigs will once again need to play BIG and protect the paint better.

CAVALIERS  STARTERS

The Cavaliers starting lineup will be Jarrett Jack and Dion Waiters in the backcourt with Luol Deng, Tristan Thompson and  Spencer Hawes playing in the frontcourt.

The Cavaliers continue to be without Kyrie Irving (biceps) , C.J. Miles (ankle) and Anthony Bennett (knee) so Jack and Waiters will have to carry the load again.

Jack has played well lately with his increased minutes and Waiters has stepped up with 24 points per game in his last five games and hopes to continue that pace.

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GAME NOTES:

A win would be the team’s 12th straight home win. The team record is 13 games.

Brooklyn and Cleveland have split the season series with both teams winning on their home court.

The Nets are tied for the longest active home winning streak in the NBA (11 games).

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[quote_simple]WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Continue home dominance

The Nets are back home after a disappointing 1-2 road trip with all three games going to overtime only to see Brooklyn win one of them.

The defense has been suspect since the third quarter of the Dallas game and it cost the Nets the last two games.

The home dominance the Nets have played with lately is exactly what this team needs after a tough overtime=filled road trip.

Some good old home cooking could be just what the doctor ordered for these Nets.

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[box]INJURY REPORT

NETS

Marcus Thornton – GTD (bruised lower back)

Andrei Kirilenko – OUT (sprained left ankle)

Kevin Garnett – OUT (back spasms)

Brook Lopez  – OUT (ankle)

CAVALIERS

Kyrie Irving- OUT ( biceps strain)

Anthony Bennett
– OUT (patellar tendon strain)

Carrick Felix – OUT (patellar fracture)

CJ Miles – OUT (left ankle sprain)

Sergey Karasev – OUT (knee patellar tendonitis)

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Coach Kidd – “No one cares who scores, it’s all about Brooklyn.”

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