Nets at Nuggets
The Brooklyn Nets have thoroughly enjoyed their past two visits to
Denver and look for their third consecutive rout in the Mile High City
when they face the Nuggets on Friday. Brooklyn has won the past two
games in Denver by an average of 25.5 points, marking the only time the
Nets have won consecutive road games against the same opponent by 20 or
more points in the franchise's NBA history.
Brooklyn is 2-3 on a nine-game road excursion but dropped the last two games - both in Los Angeles to the Clippers and Lakers. Forward Thaddeus Young had 19 points and matched a season high with 15 rebounds in Tuesday's 107-101 loss to the Lakers to raise his career-high double-double count to 25. Denver posted a 117-107 victory over the Lakers on Wednesday for only its second victory in the past seven games. The Nuggets will be searching for someone to pick up the scoring slack on a nightly basis with small forward Danilo Gallinari (team-best 19.5 scoring average) possibly done for the season with an ankle injury.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE NETS (17-44): Center Brook Lopez scored 23 points in the loss to the Lakers and has scored 20 or more points in 11 of the past 17 games. Lopez is averaging 23.3 points and eight rebounds during the stretch and has been much more efficient in the offense since interim coach Tony Brown replaced the fired Lionel Hollins. Shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic is averaging 17.3 points over the last four games after becoming a starter when the club bought out the contract of Joe Johnson.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (24-37): Veteran backup point guard D.J. Augustin is certainly taking advantage of increased opportunities and he scored 22 of his season-best 26 points in the fourth quarter of the victory over the Lakers. "Just going with the flow. It happens sometimes," Augustin modestly told reporters. "I took what they gave me." Augustin was recently acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder and is averaging 19 points and shooting 57.6 percent from the field over the past three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets have won the past four meetings.
2. Brooklyn PG Donald Sloan has scored in double digits in five straight games and six of the past seven.
3. Denver rookie PG Emmanuel Mudiay had 22 points against the Lakers after averaging 5.3 points on 5-of-26 shooting over the previous game.