Jan 8, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets ahead Noah Clowney (21) seems to be to submit up towards Detroit Pistons ahead Bobi Klintman (34) within the fourth quarter at Barclays Heart. Necessary Credit score: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Pictures Each NBA staff offers with accidents all through the 82-game common season, and the Brooklyn Nets are not any totally different. However they’re battling greater than their justifiable share proper now.
Brooklyn had solely eight rotation gamers obtainable in its loss to Detroit on Wednesday evening, and the Nets may very well be equally depleted after they open a highway journey on the Denver Nuggets on Friday evening.
Cameron Johnson, the staff’s second-leading scorer at 19.5 factors per sport, has missed the final three video games with a sprained ankle. Nets coach Jordi Fernandez stated there was an opportunity Johnson would return towards Denver, however the sixth-year ahead was listed as out on Thursday evening’s harm report.
“We’re not going to hurry something. So, at any time when he’s clear and he feels good,” Fernandez stated. “He is younger, however he is a vet and I belief him. So, I do not need him to go too early and danger something. I simply need him to be one hundred pc as a result of then he makes us higher.”
Johnson is touring with the staff and will return later in its six-game Western Convention highway journey.
Other than Johnson, the Nets had been with out their remaining high 4 scorers on Wednesday.
Cam Thomas (24.7 ppg) has performed in simply two video games since Nov. 25 as he battles a hamstring harm, whereas third-leading scorer Dennis Schroder (18.4) sat out with a bruised left hip. D’Angelo Russell (12.7), acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 29, has performed three video games with Brooklyn however missed the final two with a bruised proper shin.
Noah Clowney, sixth on the staff this yr with 9.4 factors per sport, scored a career-high 29 towards the Pistons to guide Brooklyn.
The Nuggets are hoping to get a giant piece again into their lineup. Nikola Jokic has missed two straight video games as a consequence of a non-COVID sickness — a 12-point loss to Boston and a 23-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday evening.
Jokic leads the NBA in scoring at 31.5 factors per sport, is second in assists (9.7) and ranks third in rebounding, grabbing a mean of 13 per sport. He’s formally questionable to face Brooklyn.
Denver is 2-3 in video games Jokic has missed and struggled with out him within the loss to the Celtics on Tuesday evening however adjusted 24 hours later to rout Los Angeles.
Jamal Murray led the best way with 21 factors and Michael Porter Jr. hit his season common of 19 factors.
Murray is second on the Nuggets in scoring at 19.4 factors per sport and third in assists at 6.3 per evening. Russell Westbrook, who has been beginning instead of Aaron Gordon (proper calf pressure), is second in assists at 6.7.
Denver, like Brooklyn, has coped with accidents all through the season, which has factored into the Nuggets’ uneven 21-15 begin.
“We simply have to determine a solution to climate the storm and are available again,” Murray stated. “I feel the intent and focus we’re enjoying with, regardless that we misplaced to Boston, it was nonetheless nice intent and power, and we simply need to maintain that type of focus. We are able to beat anybody regardless of who’s up.”
–Area Degree Media
