What to Watch for in Brooklyn Nets vs. Mavericks

The Brooklyn Nets will face off against the Dallas Mavericks for the third time this season, this time at home. The Nets have fallen to the Mavs twice this season.

Brooklyn is in desperate need of a win following its fourth quarter collapse in its loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and two straight blowout losses to championship-contending teams.

Dallas has been struggling recently but came away with a 134-130 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, with Khris Middleton looking like his vintage self.

Nets fans will not get to see former franchise star Kyrie Irving take the court in this one, as he was recently ruled out for the rest of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL.

The Mavericks will be without Cooper Flagg with a left midfoot sprain, but they have plenty of players ready to step up in the potential Rookie of the Year's stead.

P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Max Christie are capable of inflicting considerable damage inside and out, especially if given ample room to operate.

The Nets will have essentially everybody available in this one, so it'll be up to Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton to hold their rookie teammates accountable throughout the course of the game and not let them slip into bad habits during key stretches.

Nolan Traoré is an absolite blur with the ball in his hands but can sometimes blow easy bunnies at the rim if he allows the defense to speed him up.

Egor Dëmin looked better driving to the rim while showcasing some acrobatics on Sunday, but there were times it appeared heavy closeouts disrupted his form on shot attempts from downtown.

Though the Mavs will be a bit banged up heading into this one, it far from guarantees the Nets a win. The Nets need to take good care of the ball and hunt for good shots, something they failed to do down the stretch on Sunday.

On a brighter note, Claxton and Porter showcased the incredible chemistry they've built all season in their first game back together after the All-Star break, especially when both were cutting to the rim.

Defensively, the Nets need to do a better job of protecting the rim and closing up driving lanes, which was especially problematic in the Nets' collapse to the Hawks.

If the Nets do all the little things right, perhaps they could snap their four-game losing streak.