So the Nets are 17-42, assured of another losing season, their fourth straight and 22nd in 35 NBA seasons. At least they have their health.
Well, not exactly.
Deron Williams is playing with a sore right wrist. Anthony Morrow is bothered by tendinitis in his left knee. And Jordan Farmar sprained his left ankle Saturday, an injury that makes him doubtful for tonight against the Suns in Williams’ home debut. Farmar suffered his injury in the first quarter of the 123-108 wipeout in Houston.
“I landed on somebody’s foot, it rolled over and kind of rolled back,” said Farmar, whose ankle ballooned up. X-rays were negative.
Morrow said he has been fighting the flare-ups in his knee, but was really bothered late Saturday when he ran downcourt after lining up for a free throw.
“I could barely run up the court,” he said. “I took a jump shot and had no lift. It just hurt real bad.”
Morrow also went for X-rays, also negative.
But he’ll play through it, he said. As will Williams, who sported a wrist brace after Saturday’s game.
“I’ll just keep wearing the brace. I hurt it twice in a span of three days. That’s kind of bad. When I don’t hurt it, it tends to get better quick,” Williams said. “Both times I hurt it — in the All-Star Game and [Friday] against the Spurs — I didn’t have a brace on. I’m going to keep wearing the brace even though I don’t like it.”
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Tonight’s game features two superb point guards who are very familiar with each other, Williams and the Suns’ Steve Nash.
They have gone head-to-head 18 times, with Nash holding an 11-7 victory edge.
In those games, Williams has averaged 17.7 points, 9.1 assists and shot .419. Nash has averages of 15.9 points and 11.3 assists while shooting at a .483 clip.
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Another interesting matchup will occur between the Lopez twins, the Nets’ Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez of the Suns. This will be their fifth game against each other. Robin is 3-1 with averages of 8.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in the four games. Brook has averaged 14.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in the four meetings.
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The Nets head across the pond to play the Raptors on Friday and Saturday in London to further the NBA’s quest for global dominance. Their next home game in Newark after tonight is March 9 against Golden State.