Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks 4/6/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks Matchup Preview (4/6/22)

The Brooklyn Nets (41-38) take on the New York Knicks (35-44) Wednesday night for the final time this season. The Nets are the current 8th seed, but they cannot afford a loss to the Knicks. The Hawks are tied with them, and the Hornets are only one game back. Brooklyn controls its destiny, but they must win out to guarantee the 8th seed. The Nets owned the 3rd Offensive Rating and 15th Defensive Rating in March, which is an improvement. They lost a crucial game 122-115 to the Hawks though because they couldn’t stop the Hawks from scoring. Durant scored a career-high 55 points on 19/28 from the field and 8/10 from three. Kyrie added 31 points and 6 assists on 7/14 from three. Nobody else on the Nets were in the double digits scoring-wise. Andre Drummond had 8 points and 13 rebounds, which is what the Nets should expect from him. Trae Young dropped 36 points and 10 assists, while the Hawks bench outscored the Nets bench 46-12. Against the Knicks, the Nets will be without Goran Dragic. James Johnson is a game time decision, and Seth Curry is cleared to play. Curry will bring some balance to this offense. 

The Knicks are officially out of the playoffs, so they have nothing to play for besides pride. They had a chance to squeak in, but consecutive losses to the Hornets and Cavaliers ended their hopes. The Knicks are coming off a 118-88 win over the blatantly tanking Orlando Magic. RJ Barrett produced 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists on 9/20 from the field. Obi Toppin is filling in for the injured Julius Randle, and he scored 20 points on 7/16 from the field. Alec Burks added 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists at point guard. Off the bench, Immanuel Quickley recorded his first career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes, and Nerlens Noel are all out against the Nets. The Knicks likely start Toppin and Taj Gibson in the frontcourt. 

Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks Betting Odds

The Nets are 3-0 against the Knicks this season with the most recent game being a 110-107 win on March 13th. The three games have been decided by a combined 10 points, so the head-to-head record is deceptive about the Nets level of dominance. In this final matchup, I like the Nets to win and complete the sweep. Brooklyn is actually playing for something, while it’s irrelevant if the Knicks win or not. The Nets have the best two players in this game by a mile, and injury has robbed the Knicks of their depth. The 8th seed is in their grasp, so they should come out with intensity and avoid having to win two games to get into the playoffs. I do think the game will be closer than it should, but I like the Nets to cover -5. Curry’s presence only bolsters my confidence. 

TV Schedule

Date: 4/6/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Channel: ESPN

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Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Seth Curry
SF: Bruce Brown Jr
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Andre Drummond

Brooklyn Nets Analysis

Kevin Durant is doing his best to carry this team right now. In his last nine games, he is averaging 33.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 6.7 APG on an absurd 53/47/93 shooting split. Obi Toppin will be the primary defender on Durant, which will be a good matchup for Durant. Toppin is quick for his size, but he cannot stay with Durant on the perimeter. Even elite defenders cannot block his shot, so Durant will have a field day against the Knicks. I don’t think he will score 53 points again like he did in their last matchup, but 40+ is in his grasp here. Kyrie Irving completes the Nets offensive duo with his otherworldly ball handling and finishing at the rim. He’s scored 73 points in his last two games by going 15/30 from deep. Alec Burks has struggled all year to guard the pick and roll – he ranks in the 27th percentile for guarding the pick and roll ball handler. Like Durant, Kyrie will have a great matchup here and can hit 35+ points. It seems as if the Nets are banking on Durant and Kyrie to score a combined 75+ points every night and praying the defense holds the opponent to less than 115 points.

New York Knicks Starting Lineup

PG: Alec Burks
SG: Evan Fournier
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Obi Toppin
C: Taj Gibson

New York Knicks Analysis

The Knicks should focus on developing this game and try to see how Barrett and Toppin fit together. Julius Randle is likely to be traded this off-season, which would open up the power forward spot for Toppin. In five recent games without Randle playing, Toppin has averaged 16.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.2 APG on efficient shooting. He’s an athletic forward who can throw down insane dunks, but he needs to channel that athleticism on defense. He can become a plus defender if he works on that over the summer. Barrett, meanwhile, has been on a tear since the All-Star break. Over that 20-game stretch, he is averaging 25.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.7 APG on a subpar 40/32/76 shooting split. If he can raise his efficiency, Barrett has the makings of a number one scorer. He has the ability to score from any area of the court, but he must focus on becoming more consistent. 

Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks Daily Fantasy Picks

I like Durant, Irving, and Barrett in this matchup. The Nets offense is barren outside of Durant, Irving, and Curry. Durant and Irving will easily see 20+ FGA each, and their efficient shot means they will rack up points. I like Irving to score around 35 points here, while Durant will fall in the 40-45 range. Both players also contribute rebounds and assists, so they hold tremendous fantasy value. If you can only pick one, then choose Durant. The Knicks will feed Barrett here because they have nothing to lose. I expect Barrett to sort of play hero ball and try to orchestrate an upset. Even if he is not efficient, his volume will make him a decent fantasy option. I think he ends up around 27 points with 5 assists and rebounds.