Basketball’s Subway Series returns to Barclays as Nets host rival Knicks: Gameday

New York Knicks (28-39) vs. Brooklyn Nets (34-33)
Sunday, March 13 @ Barclays Center

How to Watch/Listen:

1 p.m. ET on ABC and WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM.

Matchup:

The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks will meet for the first time since Cam Thomas stole the stage on Broadway in a comeback win for the Nets at Madison Square Garden. The blown lead was a historically bad one for the Knicks and they’ve surely not forgotten it coming into Sunday’s rematch at Barclays Center.

The Nets have a little more than pride on the line as they try to work their way out of a play-in-round spot. Brooklyn has won back-to-back games and is trying to string three wins together, which would mark the highest number of wins in a row since they won four straight in December.

“Guys rose to the occasion, we got a second win in a row, and let’s see if we can keep building,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “I think it’s great for our confidence. We’ve had such a rough stretch here with injuries and we’re trying to put this thing together and build some cohesion and understanding.”

Kevin Durant is sure to play a major role for the Nets yet again after having big games against Miami, Boston and Philadelphia. He has scored 30-plus points in two of his last four games since his return. They will not have Kyrie Irving, due to vaccine mandates, for this game after he had a pair of impressive efforts on the road.

LaMarcus Aldridge will also not be in the lineup due to a right hip impingement.

The Knicks have continued their roller-coaster season after the NBA All-Star break and they’ve won just four of their last 16 games. They also suffered some recent bad news with the announcement that Cam Reddish had to be shut down for the rest of the year due to a shoulder injury.

They did have a three-game winning streak snapped on Friday when they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies. Julius Randle scored a team-high 36 points in the loss.

Why it Matters:

The Nets remain eighth in the Eastern Conference with their win on Thursday. Brooklyn is 3 games back of the Toronto Raptors for the seventh seed in the East and 4 games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the sixth seed.

Nets Notables

Patty Mills is 12th in 3FG % (.417) and third among 74 players with 300+ 3FGA, trailing Luke Kennard (.456) and Cameron Johnson (.448). … Brooklyn held the Sixers to an opponent season-low .323 FG %, their lowest opponent FG % since Detroit shot .278 FG % on 3/11/19. It also marked the second-lowest Nets opponent FG % in a road game in franchise history (low: .322 FG % for New York on 12/12/85). … Of 74 players with 100+ midrange FGAs, Seth Curry is fourth in midrange FG % (.528), trailing Jrue Holiday (.571), Aldridge (.558), KD (.552). Curry has made 114 midrange FG, ninth-most in the league.

Injury Report

Nets: LaMarcus Aldridge (right hip impingement), David Duke Jr. (left ankle sprain), Joe Harris (left ankle surgery), Kyrie Irving (ineligible to play) and Ben Simmons (return to competition reconditioning/back soreness) are out.

Knicks: Obi Toppin is questionable. Cam Reddish (right shoulder AC joint injury), Quentin Grimes (right patella subluxation), Nerlens Noel (left foot soreness), Derrick Rose (right ankle surgery) and Luka Samanic (G League – two way) are out.

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