The Brooklyn Nets will host the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night at Barclays Center in the Thunder’s first visit to Brooklyn in almost 2 years.
After the teams tussled in a Brooklyn Nets “home game” in Mexico City last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder return to Barclays Center Wednesday night for the first time in nearly two years.
The Thunder (15-7) come in with a three-game winning streak and as winners of 15 of their last 18 after starting the season with four consecutive losses.
Conversely, the Nets (8-17) have lost seven straight games and have won just two of their last 12, all but one half of which have been without leading scorer Caris LeVert.
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Brooklyn, which has also lost its last seven at Barclays Center, have had nothing but late heartache in its last four games at home.
After losing fourth-quarter leads in three straight homecourt defeats, the Nets erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit Monday night to tie the Cleveland Cavaliers with 18.9 seconds remaining. But Alec Burks won it for Cleveland on a dunk with 3.2 seconds left.
D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 30 points and six assists. Ed Davis grabbed 10 rebounds for Brooklyn.
Oklahoma City last played Monday as well, taking a 10-point halftime lead before blowing the game wide open in the third quarter en route to a 110-83 win over the host Detroit Pistons.
Steven Adams finished with 21 points and two blocked shots for the Thunder, while Paul George went for 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Russell Westbrook had 18 points and six assists, while Dennis Schroder chipped in with 12 points and six dimes. Nerlens Noel added 12 points and two blocks.
The Nets are 33-55 against the Oklahoma City franchise since joining the NBA in 1976, with a 7-12 mark since the Thunder arrived in Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008.
Oklahoma City has the longest winning streak between the teams, taking seven straight from Jan. 26, 2009, to Jan. 21, 2012. The Nets have won three straight three different times, most recently from Nov. 23, 2007, to Jan. 12, 2009.
The New Jersey Nets have the highest-scoring game in the series, a 129-108 win over the Seattle SuperSonics at East Rutherford on March 6, 1985. The OKC franchise has hit the 125-point mark twice, most recently by the Sonics at East Rutherford on Jan. 23, 1987, in a 125-120 win.
It was New Jersey that posted the most lopsided decision between the two clubs in a 126-91 win over Seattle at East Rutherford on Nov. 11, 2000. The Sonics posted a 114-84 victory at Seattle on Nov. 21, 1989.
Stephon Marbury‘s 41 points in that Nov. 11, 2000, victory is the most by a player in the series. Kevin Durant scored 40 for Oklahoma City in a 105-89 win over the Nets at East Rutherford on Dec. 28, 2009.
Since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, the Nets are 6-6 against the Thunder.
Deron Williams scored 33 points for the Nets in a 117-111 loss at Barclays Center on Dec. 4, 2012, and Joe Johnson matched that total less than a month later in a 110-93 victory by Brooklyn at Oklahoma City on Jan. 2, 2013.
*-Historical research courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
Get connected with your favorite team today! Stream all the action on Fubo.
Here is how you can tune in on your TV or device to catch the Nets and Thunder Wednesday night.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Brooklyn Nets
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: YES Network
Live stream: NBA League Pass
The skinny
Season series: First meeting (teams split last season 1-1)
Records: Oklahoma City (15-7, 3rd in West), Brooklyn (8-17, t-11th in East)
Scoring: OKC 110.0 (15th), BKN 108.6 (20th)
Defense: OKC 102.4 (2nd), BKN 111.0 (16th)
Off. Rating: OKC 107.9 (17th), BKN 108.2 (14th)
Def. Rating: OKC 100.5 (1st), BKN 110.2 (21st)
Pace: OKC 102.78 (8th), BKN 99.32 (24th)
Shooting: OKC 45.0% (20th), BKN 44.1% (26th)
3-point: OKC 31.1% (30th), BKN 34.5% (21st)
Opponent shooting: OKC 44.0% (2nd), BKN 46.6% (20th)
Opponent 3-point: OKC 31.7% (3rd), BKN 34.5% (11th)
Injuries
Oklahoma City: QUESTIONABLE–Hamidou Diallo (left ankle sprain); OUT–Andre Roberson (left patella tendon).
Brooklyn: PROBABLE–Joe Harris (left adductor tightness); OUT–Treveon Graham (left hamstring strain), Caris LeVert (subtalar dislocation, right foot).
Last meeting
Jan. 23 at Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook’s driving layup with 3.3 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winner for the Thunder when Spencer Dinwiddie‘s step-back 3-point attempt went long in Oklahoma City’s 109-108 victory.
Brooklyn took a 10-point lead on Joe Harris’ layup early in the fourth quarter before the Thunder battled back. The lead changed hands seven times in the quarter and the game was tied three times over the final 6:51.
Dinwiddie gave the Nets their last lead with a drive and score with 7.8 seconds to go.
Harris paced the Nets with 19 points off the bench. Rookie Jarrett Allen, also in a relief role, went for 12 points and 11 rebounds, Dinwiddie chipped in 13 points and seven assists, Caris LeVert dished six assists off the bench and Tyler Zeller had a pair of blocked shots.
Westbrook scored 32 points for Oklahoma City to go with six assists. Paul George added 28 points, Steven Adams had 14 boards and three steals and Terrance Ferguson blocked two shots.
What’s next?
Oklahoma City: at Chicago, Friday; vs. Utah, Monday; at New Orleans, Dec. 12
Brooklyn: vs. Toronto, Friday; at New York, Saturday; at Philadelphia, Dec. 12