The Brooklyn Nets go for their third straight win Saturday, when they host the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center.
The Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 100-91 on Thursday night, two nights after a 110-105 win over the Houston Rockets. The wins came in different fashion, as the Nets’ starters got the job done Tuesday, combining for a season-high 95 points, while the bench did its part Thursday. Andrea Bargnani led the Nets bench players with a 23-point effort, an especially important contribution given that Brook Lopez got into foul trouble early.
Home Court: The Nets have won six of their last seven games at Barclays Center.
Thaddeus Young: With 18 points and 11 rebounds against the Sixers on Thursday, Thaddeus Young locked down his team-leading 11th double-double of the season – also his 10th in 13 games. Young has become one of the Nets’ most reliable offensive players.
“I’m just trying to play off my teammates,” Young said. “I’m trying to be really, really active and continue to hit the glass as much as possible. We had a few miscues where I think they got like nine to 10 or 11 offensive rebounds. We can’t let that happen, me, as the guy who is supposed to rebound the basketball, Brook (Lopez), all the big guys, we’re supposed to control the paint, and we just have to get back to what we were doing best. That’s what I’m trying to do, just attack the glass, get rebounds and get us in transition.”
LA Clippers: Led by Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul, the Clippers are heating up, having gone 7-3 in their last 10 games. Griffin leads the Clippers with 24 points, the fourth-most in the NBA, and is always a threat to break out for 30, or even 40 points. Paul, an eight-time All-Star, is averaging 8.7 assists per game while Jordan leads the Clippers in rebounds per game.
DeAndre Jordan: DeAndre Jordan continues to be one of the NBA’s best two-way players. Jordan’s 13.4 rebounds per game are second in the league and the Clippers center is also the NBA’s most efficient shooter. Jordan leads all qualified players with a .682 FG% and has led the league in field goal percentage since 2012-13, shooting .710 from the field last season. Jordan’s mix of accurate shooting and presence on the glass make him a highly-effective player for LA.