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The Brooklyn Nets will face the New Orleans Pelicans for the last time this season when they meet on Tuesday at Smoothie King Center.
Both teams are coming off losses on Sunday and are hoping to bounce back.
The New Orleans Pelicans need to regroup to get back in the playoff hunt after suffering three consecutive losses last week. Two of those losses came against the New York Knicks. The Pelicans will be extra motivated to keep the Nets, who won their previous meeting 139-111, from sweeping the season series.
Sunday’s 109-107 loss to the Miami Heat was a tough pill to swallow for the Brooklyn Nets. Bam Adebayo nailed a game-winning shot at the buzzer to give the Heat the victory.
What’s worse for the Nets is the loss of Kevin Durant to a thigh bruise after over four minutes of playing time.
Match Details
Fixture - Brooklyn Nets vs New Orleans Pelicans | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Tuesday, April 20th, 7:30 PM ET (Wednesday, April 21st, 5:00 AM IST)
Venue - Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Brooklyn Nets Preview
Kevin Durant will be out of the lineup for the New Orleans Pelicans game but could make a return sometime this week. The Brooklyn Nets need their star player during the final month of the regular season as teams fight for playoff positions. They briefly held the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference until a stretch of three losses in five games brought them a game behind the Philadelphia 76ers.
Also Read: How much is Kevin Durant’ Net Worth in 2021?
Durant's latest setback comes on the heels of LaMarcus Aldridge’s shocking retirement and James Harden’s hamstring injury that has kept him from playing the Brooklyn Nets’ last six games.
When they face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, Steve Nash’s squad may have to rely on Kyrie Irving to play otherworldly basketball to win the game.
Key Player - Kyrie Irving
The burden of carrying the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday falls on the shoulders of Kyrie Irving.
He will be the lone superstar in the team’s star-studded but injury-depleted lineup and will be counted on to direct traffic as well as create shots for himself.
Unfortunately, Irving has struggled in three of his last four games. Except for a 37-point explosion in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, the seven-time All-Star scored just 18, 12 and 20 points in the other three games. That's while shooting a combined 17-of-41 from the field and 6-of-21 from three-point range.
He will have to return to his usual form when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans, who will pit either Lonzo Ball or Eric Bledsoe against him.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Kyrie Irving l Shooting Guard - Bruce Brown l Small Forward - Joe Harris l Power Forward - Jeff Green l Center - Blake Griffin
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans dropped three games after winning a trio of matches. The three previous victories probably made them believe that they could change their fortunes by simply giving the playmaking chores to Zion Williamson.
Opponents have scored 118.3 points against the Pelicans in their last three games. If they are to recover from the latest setbacks, coach Stan Van Gundy has to get his team to stop the bleeding defensively, starting with the Brooklyn Nets game.
Key Player - Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram is heating up just in time for the New Orleans Pelicans’ playoff push. In his last five appearances, he has averaged 28.4 points on 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from three. He has also dished the rock at a rate of 6.2 assists per game.
The former no. 2 pick of the draft is currently averaging 24.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Lonzo Ball l Shooting Guard - Eric Bledsoe l Small Forward - Brandon Ingram l Power Forward - Zion Williamson l Center - Steven Adams
Nets vs Pelicans Match Prediction
Despite the Brooklyn Nets missing key players, they are more than capable of winning games, with Irving as the only All-Star on the roster. They also caught the New Orleans Pelicans at a fortunate time as Van Gundy’s team is slumping.
However, the Pelicans could be inspired by the home crowd, and the familiar surroundings should snap them out of their funk. Expect a close ballgame, with the New Orleans Pelicans coming out on top against the Brooklyn Nets.
Where to watch Nets vs Pelicans
The Brooklyn Nets vs New Orleans Pelicans game will be televised nationally by TNT and shown locally by Yes Network. For international viewers, the game will be shown live on the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Is Zion Williamson at the point sustainable for the New Orleans Pelicans' NBA Playoffs push?
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