Brooklyn Nets (11-53) vs. New York Knicks (26-40) 6 PM ET, Barclays Center TV: YES Network Radio: WFAN
Back Home:
Between the NBA All-Star break and an eight-game road trip, the Nets haven’t played a home game since Feb. 15, nearly a month.
"I just think we hit a wall as a team, but I'm proud of the guys for their effort tonight," Jeremy Lin told ESPN after the Nets loss in Dallas on Friday. "I think everyone in here, probably everyone who has been on this road trip, is feeling it a little bit.”
The Nets schedule swings from one extreme to the other, as Brooklyn plays six of their next seven games at home with a trip to Madison Square Garden mixed in.
The Nets went 2-6 on the road trip, but have improved their offense over that span, improving their points-per-game, field goal % and three-point %.
Battle of New York:
The Nets are looking for their first win over the Knicks this season after dropping the first two meetings. The Nets led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter of the team’s most recent meeting, a 95-90 loss to the Knicks.
This time the difference could be Jeremy Lin, who missed the two previous meetings with hamstring injuries, so he’ll be suiting up in the Battle of New York as a Net for the first time on Sunday.
The Nets and Knicks are 9-9 since the Nets relocated to Brooklyn. The Nets have won four of the last five meetings at Barclays Center.
Knicks Notes:
The Knicks have lost seven of their last 10 games entering Sunday’s matchup, most recently falling 112-92 to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday afternoon.
The Knicks are 7.5 back of the Milwaukee Bucks for the final playoff spot, with three other teams to leapfrog, so even a lengthy winning streak leaves their playoff prospects unlikely.
Leading scorer Carmelo Anthony has gone five straight games without hitting 20 points for the first time since March 2012. Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 rebounds over his last five games.
Injury Report:
Brook Lopez (sprained right ankle) is probable for Sunday’s game. Joe Harris (concussion/sprained left shoulder) is out and will miss his fifth straight game.
Nets Biggie Night:
The Brooklyn Nets are celebrating the life and legacy of The Notorious B.I.G. on Sunday on the 20-year anniversary of his death. Biggie’s mother and children will be at the game, along with Sean “Diddy” Combs and DJ Enuff, as the Nets pay tribute to a Brooklyn icon.
Music from Biggie and the artists he inspired will be played throughout the game, the Brooklynettes will perform two special routines, and at halftime, DJ Enuff will play for the crowd. Fans will also see a video montage commemorating Biggie’s life, and fans are encouraged to participate in the conversation on social media using #NetsBiggieNight.
On behalf of the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, the Nets will refurbish the basketball gym at Queen of All Saints School in Brooklyn, where The Notorious B.I.G. attended middle school.