Thunder at Nets
Brook Lopez will be on the floor for the first time since last December when the Brooklyn Nets host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Lopez suffered a season-ending foot fracture last season and a sprain of the same foot in mid-October caused him to miss Brooklyn’s first two games this season. “It’s tough coming in from doing pretty much nothing to playing pretty much a full NBA game with the speed of the game,” Lopez said.
Oklahoma City can relate to injuries and will once again have just eight players available. Russell Westbrook became the latest to join an injury list that includes reigning MVP Kevin Durant when he underwent surgery for a broken hand on Saturday. Despite being short-handed, the Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 102-91 on Saturday, prompting coach Scott Brooks to say, “That was unbelievable. I’m so proud of our group.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (1-2): One player stepping up amidst all the injuries is second-year forward Perry Jones, who has averaged 27.5 points over the last two games. Jones will continue to receive ample playing time with Durant out, and he is shooting 19-of-35 over the past two contests after struggling through a 1-of-9 effort in the season opener against Portland. “We’re just sticking together,” Jones told reporters. “Running the offense the way you’re supposed to run it.”
ABOUT THE NETS (1-1): Kevin Garnett turned back the clock by producing 18 points and 14 rebounds Saturday in the Nets' 102-90 win over Detroit. The double-double was the 739th of Garnett’s career and the point total was his highest since he joined Brooklyn prior to the 2013-14 campaign. “I got back to my regimen and I got back to what I know,” Garnett told reporters. “I got back to what made me great over these years and I got back to who I am.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets have lost five consecutive home games against the Thunder.
2. Oklahoma City PG Sebastian Telfair is 4-for-28 from the field while averaging 6.3 points.
3. Brooklyn committed 21 turnovers in its season-opening loss to Boston and had just eight while defeating Detroit.