Nets at Spurs
The Brooklyn Nets took advantage of the shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder to snap a five-game slide but take a step up in competition when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. The Spurs are winners of three in a row and blasted Minnesota 121-92 on the road on Friday. The Nets have failed to reach 100 points in four of their last five contests and are going up against a San Antonio squad leading the league in scoring defense.
The Spurs’ plans on the second night of back-to-backs are never easy to predict, but none of the veterans had to exert themselves much in Friday’s contest. Tim Duncan was used for only 23 minutes in the win while Manu Ginobili logged just 18 and Tony Parker managed 28 points in 25 minutes. Brooklyn’s starters, in contrast, have been pushed hard in the last two games – a triple-overtime loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday and Friday’s win at Oklahoma City, which came down to the wire.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn) FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE NETS (5-7): Center Brook Lopez is having the most difficult adjustment to new coach Lionel Hollins, who has pulled the big man several times down the stretch of games. Lopez is turning things around of late and logged 44 minutes while scoring a season-high 26 on Wednesday before posting his first double-double since the 2013 playoffs with 16 points and 10 rebounds on Friday. The surge comes after Lopez hit bottom with five points on 2-of-8 shooting in 22 minutes against Miami on Monday.
ABOUT THE SPURS (8-4): San Antonio had not shot 50 percent or better from the field since opening night before going off at 54.8 percent on Friday, including 13-of-21 from 3-point range. The only one not to pull out of the funk was Ginobili, who went 1-of-6 from the field in limited minutes. The Argentinian guard is shooting 33.3 percent from the field over his last five games and has been held to single figures in scoring in four of those five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with a 103-89 home win in the last meeting on Feb. 6.
2. San Antonio F Matt Bonner (illness) sat out Friday and is day-to-day.
3. Brooklyn G Jarrett Jack is averaging 17 points off the bench in the last five games.