Nets playoff push continues as they try to rebound against Detroit: Gameday

Detroit Pistons (20-55) vs. Brooklyn Nets (39-36)
Tuesday, March 29 @ Barclays Center

How to Watch/Listen:

7:30 p.m. ET on YES Network and WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM.

Matchup:

With Kyrie Irving’s first game at Barclays Center out of the way, the Nets can fully focus on the task at hand. They need a win against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night to try and keep ahead of the Charlotte Hornets and to try and gain ground on the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

For the first time in what feels like ages, the Nets have just about every one available to them against Detroit. Irving will attempt to put his less than stellar home debut in the rearview mirror as Brooklyn attempts to rebound from the 119-110 loss to Charlotte on Sunday night.

Irving scored just 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting from the field and the Nets saw a 14 point first-half lead disappear.

“Not the result we wanted,” Irving said. “I didn’t shoot as well as I wanted. Basically none of the things I had hoped for going well tonight, it just didn’t happen. And that’s just the flow of basketball. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, it felt OK, but just the jump shot wasn’t falling tonight.”

They will have history on their side since the Nets have taken all three previous matchups against the Pistons this season and won five straight versus Detroit going into Tuesday’s game. Brooklyn easily defeated the Pistons on Halloween 117-91 followed by a 96-90 win in November and a 116-104 win in December.

In all three of those games, Brooklyn did not have Irving, so Tuesday will also mark the first time he faces them since last season.

The Pistons are also coming off a loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday in the Motor City. Detroit has dropped eight of their last 10 games.

Rookie Cade Cunningham has been the player to watch in Detroit this season. He has averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Pistons this year.

Nets’ Playoff Push:

The Eastern Conference playoff picture is a bit of a dogfight at the moment. The Nets know the circumstances they find themselves in as games quickly come off the calendar and the postseason nears. Brooklyn is only half a game ahead of the Hornets and a full game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks. They still trail the Cleveland Cavaliers for seventh by three games and the Toronto Raptors for sixth by 3.5 games.

“We know where we are in the standings,” Irving said. “And we also know how much talent we have in this locker room and what we’re capable of doing.”

Nets Notables

Andre Drummond ranks first in the league in rebound % (.230), first in defensive rebound % (.310) and second in offensive rebound % (.152), trailing only Steven Adams (.161). … The Nets have used a league-high and single-season franchise record 41 different starting fives, with a single-season-franchise-record-tying 19 Nets drawing at least one start. Brooklyn set records for # of starting fives (38) and players to draw a start (19) last season. … Kevin Durant (25,298 points) is now 21st on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Next up: Alex English (25,613 points). This season, he’s passed Reggie Miller, Jerry West, Patrick Ewing, Ray Allen and Allen Iverson on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Injury Report

Nets: David Duke Jr. (G League – two-way), Joe Harris (left ankle surgery), Day’Ron Sharpe (G League assignment) and Ben Simmons (return to competition reconditioning/back soreness) are out.

Pistons: Hamidou Diallo (left finger avulsion fracture), Luka Garza (G League assignment), Jeremi Grant (left calf strain), Saben Lee (G League assignment), Isaiah Livers (concussion) and Chris Smith (left knee sprain) are out.

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