GAME PREVIEW AND INJURY REPORT: Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Nets are playing against some familiar faces.

© Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the loss to the Warriors on the first night of this back-to-back, the Nets have been impressive over the past week. Now, they have a familiar foe with Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks visiting the Barclays Center.

It is a big night because Irving is not the only big star, with MVP candidate Luka Doncic also playing for the Mavericks. The Slovenian star scored 49 points in the previous matchup in late October when Brooklyn lost 120 to 125.

Brooklyn has a tough game ahead

The Mavs are one of the toughest teams to play against because of the duo of Kyrie and Luka. They are two of the league’s most explosive scorers, which the Nets would struggle to guard, even with their best defenders. Dennis Smith Jr. and Mikal Bridges will face a challenge by defending the two superstars.

Brooklyn’s players will have chips on their shoulders as they look to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Golden State. With Kyrie in the building, there is pressure for the Nets to perform because the organization wants to prove they won the trade. It will be a mixed reaction for Kyrie at Barclays Center, but he will likely look to play at his best.

Cameron Thomas will be the Nets’ primary scorer due to Mikal’s defensive responsibilities. However, don’t count out Bridges because he will find a way to contribute to the offense with off-ball threes and cuts into the paint. This duo should be a valuable part of the Nets’ plan to win since this duo has scored 50+ points in Brooklyn’s wins over the past week.

Nic Claxton is also a player to watch for Brooklyn because he’s likely motivated to perform after his ejection against Golden State. He had seven blocks against the Warriors, so expect him to perform well on both sides of the floor in this game, as Dallas’ big men are not elite on defense.

Major denial from CLA❌ pic.twitter.com/oOFhTGlmQv

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 6, 2024

Injury report

Unfortunately, the Nets have a lengthy injury report with Dorian Finney-Smith and Day’Ron Sharpe still sidelined. Lonnie Walker and Cameron Johnson suffered injuries against Golden State, which could take them out for this game. Thankfully, Ben Simmons will be back for this game after sitting out due to injury maintenance against the Warriors.

The Mavs have two players in the injury report, with Dereck Lively II suffering a broken nose and Dante Exum dealing with a knee injury.

The Brooklyn Nets' slow second half leads to a big loss to the Golden State Warriors