NBA Basketball Matchup: Nets vs Lakers
The Pacific Division-leading Lakers will aim for their eighth consecutive victory when they host the surging New Jersey Nets who look to extend their longest winning streak in more than a year to four on Tuesday night.
Date/Time: 10:30 PM ET, Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Broadcast: FSW
Spread: OFF
Over/Under: OFF
Despite being without their star center for much of the season, the Nets (19-35) have proved to be moderately formidable as of late, winning four of five to kick off their four-game road trip with back-to-back victories.
All without big man Brook Lopez, who after starting the regular season with a broken right foot, is now battling a sprained right ankle, and has appeared in just five games this season for New Jersey.
The Nets, however, are playing much better defensively, which is helping their offensive efforts, and with a solid effort from point guard Deron Williams, who had 19 points and 15 assists while Anthony Morrow went 6 of 11 from 3-point range and scored 24, beat the Sacramento Kings 111-99 on Saturday.
New Jersey has now averaged 104.3 during its win streak. Much better for a team that had been ranking near the bottom of the league with just 93.1 points per game.
Another contributor to the Nets recent offensive surge has been recently acquired Gerald Wallace, who seems to finally settling in to his new home. He’s averaged 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists over the past two games after scoring 14.0 points with 6.1 rebounds in his first seven appearances after being traded. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Peaking just in time to take on a red-hot Lakers team that continue to roll after winning two in a row, including a 120-112 victory on Sunday over Golden State.
Kobe Bryant led the charge with a whopping 40 points while Pau Gasol scored 26 points and Ramon Sessions added 23 for the Lakers, who found themselves short-handed after Andrew Bynum exited the game in the first quarter with a sprained left ankle.
Bynum, who is averaging 22.9 points and 64.6 percent shooting in his previous 15 games, will return however to the starting lineup on Tuesday.
Not so good news for New Jersey.
As Los Angeles has already outscored New Jersey by an average of 15.2 points during its seven-game run in the series, including a 100-88 win on Jan. 14, 2011.
Free Pick: Los Angles- Despite the Nets recent rush, the Lakers are just too good, especially at home, while the Nets are just 12-16 on the road.
