The Knicks were considered a local team in danger of a disastrous road trip. Instead, the Nets have flopped so far, the equivalent of a series-high three-game losing streak. Now, the remaining three games of his five-game, 10-day journey have taken on extra importance.
Looking to solidify themselves as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Nets are in danger of dropping the third seed and losing a home-court advantage in the second round of the playoffs.
After losing two straight games to Milwaukee, the Nets trailed the 76ers by two games in the loss column for the top spot in the East, with six games to go. Even more worrying is that they lead the Bucks from just one game in the defeat-column, and are unable to catch the tie-breaker. This makes Thursday’s game in Dallas and Saturday’s game in Denver more important. Two Western Conference foes, both current playoff teams, can determine the Nets’ seedbed planting.
Both the Bucks and Sixers have a relatively soft schedule. They will face just one team with a record of every win (Heat). The Nets are 0-4 against The Milwaukee and Philadelphia, and 2-0 at home to two teams.
In their first meeting with the Mavericks, at the Barclays Center on February 27, the Nets were overwhelmed 115–98, while playing without Kerry Irving and Kevin Durant. Both will play on Thursday, though James Harden (hamstring) will be out.
The last time the Nets lost three in a row, they responded by winning eight out of 16 straight and 15. Now would be a good time for a similar streak.
Irving and the Nets were each fined $ 35,000 by the NBA for repeated violations of league rules regarding media access, it was announced on Wednesday. Penalty Irving declined to participate in postgame interview sessions as a result.
Earlier this season, Irving was fined $ 50,000 for violating the league’s health and safety protocol, after videos surfaced of him joining an indoor crowd. He was also fined $ 25,000 for refusing to talk to the media during “media week”.
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