The Houston Rockets saved the New York Knicks on Monday, putting an end to their recent struggles and lifting them out of their slump.
When they take on the worst team in the Western Conference on Wednesday night, the struggling Brooklyn Nets want the same thing.
If the Miami Heat lose to Toronto on Tuesday, Brooklyn (40-35) may regain the lead in the play-in tournament. The Nets likewise will endeavor to stop a four-game home long string of failures.
Because it was unable to maintain a hot streak earlier this month, Brooklyn is in this position. From March 3 to 12, the Nets won five of six games, including a rout in Houston. However, they have lost six of their last seven games.
In each of those games, the Nets have been down by double digits, including Sunday, when they were outplayed for the final 30 or more minutes of a 119-106 Orlando loss. That defeat occurred on the second night of a doubleheader; In Miami on Saturday, Brooklyn came back from a 14-point deficit in the first half to win 129-100.
Mikal Bridges was the only Net who played well against Orlando. His 44 points were one shy of his career high set against Miami on Feb. 15 at home. While Bridges made 13 of his 22 attempts, the other four Brooklyn starters—Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith—were 9 of 35.
Dinwiddie shot 4-for-22 from the floor and was held to two points on 0-for-11 shooting against the Magic over the weekend.
Houston (18-58) is on a six-game losing streak heading to Brooklyn. In their 137-115 loss to the Knicks, the Rockets allowed at least 130 points for the third time in their most recent skid and for the 14th time all time.
Houston’s second-highest opposing field goal percentage of the season came from allowing the Knicks to shoot 58.1 percent. Additionally, this marked the 17th time that the Rockets allowed their opponents to shoot at least 50%.
Following a performance of 6-for-25 on Sunday in Cleveland, the Rockets shot 7-of-26 from behind the three-point line. Jalen Green had his 14th 30-point game of the season on Sunday, but against the Knicks, he only managed 19 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
Kevin Doorman Jr. driven the Rockets with 26 focuses against the Knicks, his fifth 20-point appearing in his beyond eight challenges.
