Can Brooklyn finally end its third long losing streak this season? Here's how to watch plus betting preview
The Brooklyn Nets have a new slide to snap.
But for the third time this season, the franchise has lost more than seven straight games.
And they'll have not one, but two opportunities to end the skid down in South Beach.
Miami is the destination for the Nets for both the Tuesday and Thursday slate. It's rare across the NBA that two teams play at the same venue during a span of three days, but Brooklyn and Miami have that set up thanks to NBA scheduling efforts.
Can Brooklyn make the effort, though, to take down the Heat twice?
Miami took the previous Dec. 18 meeting by a score of 106-95. Now the Heat enters their home venue as the massive 13-point favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Miami is a slightly higher favorite to win by DraftKings, handing the Heat a 13.5-point line.
Brooklyn does have one element going for itself: Danny Wolf and his sudden rise.
He's become the post force general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez envisioned when they drafted Wolf as part of their stacked five-rookie draft class.
"Wolf may be able to take on some secondary playmaking responsibility at the NBA level and potentially act as a sixth man in the frontcourt, especially if he becomes a strong stand-still 3-point shooter. There are shades of Houston’s Alperen Sengun and Toronto’s Kelly Olynyk in Wolf’s game, though he likely won’t be as post-centric as those players," was what Wolf's pre-draft evaluation read.
Brooklyn will need a red-hot wolf among a litany of things to pull off the upset.
Nolan Traore will need to continue trusting his court speed and vision -- which even has gotten the attention of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Egor Demin is a steady sharpshooter when called upon and the Nets must continue to trust his development.
Then there's lead scorer Michael Porter Jr. -- who looks like he reclaimed his past shooting touch despite the string of losses on Brooklyn's side.
But for the Nets, each game comes off as steep learning curves for this young roster. The losses additionally further fuel the notion Brooklyn will lock in the top pick of the NBA Draft Lottery. Houston star Kingston Flemings is now a potential contender here.
The YES Network is airing the Nets contest while FanDuel Sports Network Sun (for Heat fans) also has the action.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our NETS ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow writers.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected