Brooklyn Nets: The top Nets games to watch for this season
October 20th – Nets’ Home Opener (versus the Orlando Magic)
On October 20th, regular season basketball will finally be back in Brooklyn. This will be the second game for the Brooklyn Nets during 2017-18 season.
After beating the Indiana Pacers in last years’ home opener, the Nets will look to do the same to Orlando. Last season, the Nets fed off the energy provided by the crowd and ended up pulling out a tough victory over a playoff team in the Pacers. Now, the Nets have a chance to do the same. This time against a team who may not be too far from them in the Eastern Conference standings.
It should be noted the Nets have only lost one home opener in Brooklyn. That loss came in 2015 against the Chicago Bulls. That loss was expected with the 2015 season being the first real season in the Nets rebuild and the Bulls’ great backcourt of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler healthy and still intact.
As previously mentioned looking at the Nets’ now five seasons in Brooklyn, they have only lost 1 home opener, making them 4-1. Going back even further to the New Jersey Era, they are 6-4 in their last ten home openers. A solid yet strange stat that shows that when there is in fact energy in the building, even some of the worst teams in the league can grab a win.
This year’s home opener is very winnable for the Nets. More winnable than essentially any during their 5 years in Brooklyn. So don’t be surprised if the Nets look dominant and pull off their first win at Barclays Center on the season in style.