Five writers at The Brooklyn Game offer predictions on tonight’s game. What are yours?
- David Borghard: I’ll go bold and say that this game is going to be great. Two teams in desperate search of an identity (and a win) will likely play their hearts out. Both teams are bad, but the Knicks are worse. The Knicks are losers of nine straight and Melo recently called the Knicks the “laughingstock of the NBA.” The Nets are in desperate search of a win and playing the Knicks couldn’t have come at a better time. Even with Deron Williams out, Brook Lopez will have a monster game against a depleted frontline of Andrea Bargnani and Kenyon Martin.
- Devin Kharpertian: 91-82, Knicks win. I have no faith left anymore. I am a soulless, empty shell that once existed to find shades of happiness and gobs of potential in this star-studded lineup. Now, I’m convinced that rock bottom will hit tonight. Carmelo Anthony always seems to strike gold against the Nets no matter what arena they play in, and with Paul Pierce and Andrei Kirilenko sidelined, I’m troubled by the idea of Joe Johnson guarding him. Anything is possible, but it’s hard for me to be optimistic.
- Benjamin Nadeau: Nets 97, Knicks 94. Having witnessed both of these teams attempt to play something that may or may not resemble the game of basketball, it’s impossible to confidently predict one of these teams to beat another NBA team. Given that there’s no choice of picking both teams to lose (except in our poll), I’ll take the Nets at home with neither team playing on a back-to back.
The Knicks have no one to contain Brook Lopez, so the Nets would be wise to run the offense through him, as they did in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies. If the Nets are able to exploit the not-so-lockdown defense of Andrea Bargnani and Amar’e Stoudemire, they should be able to pull out an ugly victory at home over a team that has lost nine straight games.
- William Rausch: Nets 95, Knicks 90. I’d give a rationale, but does anything make sense about this season anymore?
- Max Weisberg: Charles Barkley jokes about the Knicks 94, Charles Barkley jokes about the Nets: 83.
