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Game Preview and Injury Report: Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls
The Nets are set to play on back-to-back nights with a game against the Chicago Bulls.
The Brooklyn Nets are fresh off a huge blowout win against the Miami Heat. Now, they face the Chicago Bulls, who are on a three-game losing streak. This will be a challenging game for the Nets as the Bulls look to redeem themselves from their losses, but they are riding on a good wave of confidence after their latest result.
This is the Nets' chance to return to .500 after their recent three-game skid. They are still without some vital players, but recent performances have shown that the active players are hitting their stride.
The Bulls can still play well on offense
With DeMar DeRozan leading the charge, the Bulls are still a team that can surprise anyone. Combine that with a possible Zach LaVine appearance in this game, and you will see some explosive offense. The Nets will have their hands full in defending the Bulls, requiring Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Cameron Johnson to lock down on defense.
Even Nic Claxton will have a tough matchup with Nikola Vucevic manning the paint. Thankfully, Clax has shown that he can stretch out as a defender in the mid-range while also showing some good skills with switching against smaller players when brought into a Vooch pick-and-roll.
The Nets have to match their firepower on offense, which has recently improved. Bridges has continued to embrace the go-to scorer role with Cameron Thomas out, while Johnson has regained his efficiency from the field. Lastly, as of late, Spencer Dinwiddie deserves some love for his playmaking, getting two consecutive double-doubles in the previous two games.
Injury report
The Nets are still dealing with the same three injuries with Dennis Smith Jr., Ben Simmons, and Cam Thomas. All three players have shown improvements in recovery processes, but they remain sidelined for this game.
Conversely, the Bulls are dealing with two questionable injuries to Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso. Both players are on the injury report listed as questionable, meaning they might have a chance to play this game.
This is a chance for the Nets to regain their momentum, as they have shown they have the talent. Since this will be on the second night of a back-to-back, they were well-rested due to the blowout win. Expect this to be an explosive game, especially with Mikal playing the way he has as of late.
