Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch against battling Memphis

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The Brooklyn Nets open a 3-game road trip Friday with a visit to the Memphis Grizzlies, who had players fighting and just pulled off a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

The Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies have gone in opposite directions since November’s meeting in which the Grizzlies erased a seven-point deficit in the final 33 seconds of regulation, came back again late in the first overtime and pulled off a 131-125 double-overtime win.

Just not the directions one might expect after such an emotional loss for the Nets and such a big road win for the Grizzlies.

Brooklyn (18-21) is 10-6 since that loss, including 10 wins in their last 13 games. Memphis (18-19) is 5-11 in the wake of their win at Barclays Center, with three straight losses and just two wins in their last 10 games.

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It’s been a turbulent 48 hours in Grind City, as well, with a team meeting after their loss Wednesday to the Detroit Pistons turning physical, with a reported altercation between veterans Garrett Temple and Omri Casspi, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The point of contention was the effort of the reserves, with Casspi reportedly getting defensive about the finger-pointing at the bench unit.

That bench unit has undergone a transformation, as late Thursday the Grizzlies traded former Net MarShon Brooks and swingman Wayne Selden to the Chicago Bulls along with their second-round picks in 2019 and 2020 in exchange for forward Justin Holiday.

The Grizzlies will play with a 14-man roster for the immediate future, according to David Cobb of The Commercial Appeal, because adding a player would push Memphis over the luxury tax line.

So, yes, some things going on in the mid-South.

To be fair, the Nets have had some goings on as well, albeit not nearly as juicy or controversial.

Brooklyn will get swingman Treveon Graham back for Friday’s game at Memphis after the third-year veteran had missed the last 37 games with a hamstring injury.

Graham was hurt in the second quarter of the home opener against the New York Knicks way back on Oct. 19, but was pronounced ready to go after playing a 26-minute stint with the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League on Wednesday.

Here are three things to watch as the Nets and Grizzlies meet for the second and final time this season.